


Celebrity Skin

by The_Dorkzilla



Series: The Niccals Saga [1]
Category: Gorillaz
Genre: BDSM, Blood, Childhood Abuse, Childhood Trauma, Crass language, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Family, Gore, Gorillaz - Freeform, Hook Up, Implied Non-Con, Implied Sexual Assault, Kidnapping, Kinky sex, NOT FOR KIDS, Phase Three (Gorillaz), Possessiveness, Post Phase 3 (Gorillaz), Rated Mature, References of physical abuse, Revenge, Rough Sex, Sex, Torture, Verbal Abuse, how many trigger warnings does this need?, references of CSA
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-02-08 01:15:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 28
Words: 197,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21467641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Dorkzilla/pseuds/The_Dorkzilla
Summary: Book 1 of The Niccals SagaIt's the Escape To Plastic Beach tour and Murdoc is juggling a careful charade that will soon crash down around him and lead to a chain of events that will change lives forever.
Relationships: Murdoc Niccals/Original Character(s), Noodle/Stuart "2D" Pot
Series: The Niccals Saga [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823239
Comments: 28
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This is a rewrite of a fan fic I originally wrote in late 2010. Felt like rewriting it cuz why the helll not?
> 
> There is a 2D/Noodle ship in this. Not a fan of it, just was the thing back then and no way to change it without changing the subsequent stories that followed this.

**Part I - King Rocker**

**Chapter One**

The first thing that caught her attention was the bartender, Toby, shoving a drink at her. Hailey looked up at Toby with a cocked eyebrow. It wasn't often a random drink appeared in front of her and she made a quick mental note of some of the faces she'd seen when she and her friends first stepped into the dimly lit little bar. Most of the men had come with companions and the few that had not hadn't taken notice of her when she'd walked in. The cocked eyebrow turned to a small frown as she silently mouthed “Who sent this?” to Toby. He made some half-hearted gesture towards the end of the bar before turning to attend to another patron. Hailey stared at the bright orange drink, unsure of whether or not she should drink it. So whomever had sent it most likely had come to the bar after her arrival. Probably some fuckboy asshole who spotted her sitting alone at the bar and thought he could move in. She knew the type. She had dealt with them enough times through her life. Full of themselves, cocky and thinking they were god’s gift to women. She’d sent plenty of them packing with bruised egos and even the occasional bloodied nose. The bar she and her friends frequented was more of a local corporate watering hole so this meant the occasional newcomer was pretty few and far between.

“Well, you gonna drink or what, love?” Whomever had sent the drink was apparently now just behind her. The accented voice was gravelly, but oddly smooth at the same time. So they'd acquired a British tourist in their humble little bar? Had the poor jackass gotten himself lost trying to find one of the city's more popular and well known night spots? Her little hole in the wall bar, Curry's, was one of those places tucked away and hidden from the world. You either had to know where to look or unwittingly stumble upon it, which she assumed was the case with the man behind her. She paused, slowly turning around in her seat to face the newcomer. The first thing she took notice of was the twisted and almost mangled nose on the man's face. Broken a few times through his life. There was also a sickly pallor to him that only seemed more obvious in the lights from the bar. Despite his bizarre features, the rest of him was pretty unremarkable. He was older, possibly early forties, with dark hair (brown or black?), squared features and a chin that almost seemed too big for his face. He was slim in stature, but well proportioned, dressed casually in jeans, a plain T-shirt and boots. She scanned him over, stopping back at his face again. He certainly had some gorgeous brown eyes. Shame they were almost hidden by a ridiculously outdated cut, the bangs casting shadows across his face. He was still staring back at her, awaiting her response. “C'mon, lovey, that was an expensive drink. Humor me, yeah?”

“My mom told me not to accept things from strangers,” she said, a small half smile playing on her face. The man's own smile faltered a bit as he scanned her over. She could almost hear the gears grinding in his head as he attempted to gauge his next move. It did make her wonder just how he had taken notice of her. She wasn't dressed to impress by any means, wearing only a plain cotton shirt, jeans and a pair of well-worn Chuck Taylors. Just behind the newcomer were a table of women who were attracting plenty of attention from some of the other bar patrons. Why not move in on those plastic bitches? Hell even her friend Alicia was dressed nicer than her and the woman was mere yards away with her boyfriend Jason.

The man gave a somewhat dismissive shrug as he shoved his hands into his jean pockets. “Look, love, it's just a bloody drink. Christ, the barkeep himself handed it t' you if you're worried 'bout me slippin' somethin' in there.” He glanced over his shoulder at the table of dolled up women. “Reckon I could give one of them the drink, but I'm not interested in them. Seem a wee bit young for me, an'way.”

Hailey flashed a smile and patted the vacant barstool beside her. “Nice enough to buy me a pricey drink, I suppose I could give you a few minutes.” His face cracked into a broad smile, exposing a mouthful of crooked teeth. Hailey turned back to her drink, cringing inwardly. She thought the whole thing about British having bad teeth was a myth. Well such myths and stereotypes often had roots somewhere, right?

He didn’t sit down beside her, though. He gestured over his shoulder towards a darkened corner of the bar. “Me an' my mate are over at a back table. Care t' join us?”

She turned in the barstool and slowly got to her feet with a nod. He was already walking back towards where-ever he and his friend were sitting. Hailey found herself standing there a moment with the drink in her hand. He wasn't exactly what one would call attractive – far from it actually – but there was something about the way he carried himself that certainly caught her attention. Confident – smug even – as he swaggered across the bar back to his table. He paused halfway across and turned to look behind him. When she started to make her way across, she caught sight of a small smile on his face as he resumed walking towards the back. He and his friend were at one of the back corner booths, nicely hidden from the main crowds. He was already seated, gesturing at the empty space beside him. Hailey smiled kindly as she slid into the booth and started sipping on her drink. Whatever it was he'd ordered, it was pretty damned good.

Across from her was sitting a man she assumed was the friend he spoke of. Thin and lanky, mostly hidden by shadows and a fedora perched on his head. When the friend moved a bit more into the light, Hailey was taken aback when she realized the man's hair was a brilliant blue and the eyes that she could only assume were looking straight at her were pitch black. She almost questioned whether he even had eyes until he moved a bit again and she could see the gleam from the lights. He was young, maybe even younger than her. He cast a questioning look at his dark-haired friend before returning his attention to Hailey. Extending his hand across the table, he cracked a gap-toothed smile. “Hullo.”

“Hi,” she said as she grasped his hand casually before dropping it to the table. The blue-haired man smiled again before seemingly losing interest. If anything, he appeared to be making a point not to pay much attention to her or his friend. As for the dark haired man who'd purchased her drink, he was all smiles as he slung an arm over the back of the booth, one of his fingers grazing against her shoulder. There was something strangely familiar about the men. As if she'd seen them before, but couldn't place just where she'd seen them. Had she passed them on the street somewhere? Seattle was a massive city, it was quite plausible. But none of that seemed right. She felt quite certain that these men didn't live here.

“You here 'lone?” the dark haired man asked, his fingers toying with a stray thread on the neckline of her blouse.

“No.” She pushed his fingers away and adjusted her top. “Here with a few friends.” His fingers returned to the neckline of her blouse, the smile just there. So he wanted to play that game, eh? The small innocent smile on his face did nothing to hide what his intentions were. His dark eyes gave the game away almost immediately. Almost predatory as they slowly scanned her over. The blue haired one wasn't even looking their way anymore, now looking out at the other bar patrons. Hailey frowned and shoved the dark haired man's fingers from her shoulder. “So.....my name's Hailey.”

“Murdoc,” the dark haired man said in a low voice. He gestured across the table at the blue-haired man. “That dense sod over there is 2D.” At the sound of his name, the blue-haired man looked over at them, but soon returned his gaze back to the people mingling through the small bar.

Hailey sucked in a breath, now staring at both men with wide eyes. “Murdoc and 2D as in the Murdoc and 2D who are part of Gorillaz?” This was why she recognized them! How did she not know this? The blue-haired guy should have given the game away. So what the hell brought them to this hole in the wall bar? Why not one of the flashier and pricier clubs that were littered through out the massive city? Surely those establishments were more suited for them. As she continued to stare at them in gape-mouthed stupidity, another thought came to mind. They really hadn't been bothered by anyone in the bar. It was small, used by mostly local regulars, and way off the beaten path. They probably chose the place because it allowed them a chance to relax without being hounded by fans. “Holy shit,” she whispered through a laugh.

Murdoc inched closer, his fingers back on her shoulder and the neckline of her shirt. “In town for a concert. Show's in a few days.” He seemed distracted in that moment, eyes dropping to the partially open collar of her shit. “Haven't had much time t' really pause an' stretch our legs. This is our longest stop of the tour.” The innocent looking smile was gone, replaced with a leer that matched the predatory gleam in his eyes as his fingers moved beneath the neckline of her shirt. From across the table, 2D made a noise, now looking directly at Murdoc. Perking his head, Murdoc stared directly back at him. Something unspoken seem to pass between them. 2D uttered a squeak as he shrank back against the booth seat. Murdoc sneered briefly, the smile returning to his face as he turned his attention back to Hailey. Oh, there was definitely something off. Just what the hell happened there? Murdoc had done nothing more than look directly at 2D and the man had cowered quicker than a beaten dog. These thoughts were lost on her as her body hyper-focused on the fingers that were traveling across her skin and leaving goosebumps in their wake. His fingers were rough and blazing hot against her skin. She struggled to focus on her drink and the strangely worrisome looks 2D was giving her and not the shivers that traveled up and down her spine as his fingers grazed against the more sensitive spots on her skin.

Something seemed off to her. Aside from the weird exchange she'd just witnessed, something else nagged at her. Something that was right in front of her face, but completely lost to her at the same time. Didn't Gorillaz have more than two members? There was the drummer, a big man from New York, and their young Japanese guitarist. Another shiver rippled up her spine as his thumb grazed the back of her neck, slowly dragging his nail in a circle. “Where are the others?” she asked shrilly. “There are others, right?”

2D tore his gaze away, the frown just there. Hailey drew back into her seat, unsure if she'd said something wrong. When he raised his eyes, there was a flash of hostility. Brief, gone in that same instant. And that acidic look had been directed straight at Murdoc, who was either oblivious or willfully ignoring the other man. Murdoc grunted in response, his fingers still gently grazing against her skin. “Noodle's back at the hotel. Not quite sure where Russel run off t'...we were never able t' get in touch with him. Used back up drummer an' drum machine.”

2D sneered, his reedy voice suddenly cold and hard. “Not like he'd want an'fink t' do wiff us.” The men exchanged hard looks before 2D jerked his head away and returned his focus to the other bar patrons. “Like an'one would want t' be a part of dis after what you done.”

“Shut your meat hole an' go dance your arse off, you lanky fuck,” Murdoc snarled, shooing at the other man dismissively. 2D promptly shot out of his seat, disappearing from their line of sight immediately. Alone in the booth, Murdoc slid in closer, the hand that had been on her shoulders and neck was now circling across her lower back and hip. The hand on her hip pressed down firmly and pulled her closer, seemingly oblivious to her half-hearted efforts to resist. “Dun' have t' worry 'bout a boyfriend, do we?” he asked in a soft whisper, his face mere inches from hers.

She shook her head and attempted to pull herself back. “Would it make a difference?” He paid no mind to her efforts to keep some distance between them, the hand on her hip hard as iron and immobile. For a little guy, he was a lot stronger than she anticipated. She brought her hands up and braced them against his chest to keep the distance between them. Christ, he smelled good. Whatever he used as cologne or aftershave certainly worked in his favor. The voice of reason screamed about the odd exchanges she'd witnessed between him and the singer, pointing out that something was amiss with this whole situation and she was best to put as much distance between herself and them as possible. So many alarms going off in her head. Whatever her intuition was telling her, she needed to pay attention. She blinked, her focus returning to the strange looking man who was pushing her hand off his chest and moving closer. Her hand came back up, pushing against his shoulder. “Yeah, that's enough.”

His face cracked into another innocent looking smile. “Enough of what?”

“Don't play coy with me,” she muttered as she attempted to pull herself away. This was fun while it lasted but it was losing steam fast. She didn't care for the overly eager and aggressive types. Wasn't this dude the one who bragged about fucking anything that moved? The one who seemed to always have willing women in his midst? “There are a couple of plastic bimbos at the bar if you're looking for something quick and easy.”

“Now who's playin' coy?” he asked with raised eyebrows and a smirk. “You can't seriously say you didn't know what the plan was when you came t' sit down here, yeah? An' how often can a bird claim they shagged the one an' only Murdoc Niccals?”

“Is there any room in there for that ego?” she shot back, pulling away from him completely. “You know what they say about big egos right? Lacking in other places.” The remark clearly caught him off guard, the smile faltering before settling into an irritated frown. Hailey laughed without meaning to, slowly starting to slide herself out of the booth. “It was fun, man, but I gotta go.”

His hand locked onto her arm. “Sweetie, you dunno what you're missin'.” He gestured at his crotch for emphasis. “Why dun' you reach down here an' you'll see I'm hardly lackin'.”

“Listen, now you're bordering on desperate and annoying,” she whispered, the irritation just there. “The last one who acted like this got his teeth punched in. I suppose it would give you a much needed excuse to get those twisted-ass teeth fixed, right?”

“Satan's balls, woman, what's your malfunction?” he snapped, tugging her back into the booth. “Pretty girl lets me buy her a drink – ”

“And you assumed it was a green light to get down my pants?” she whispered, cocking an eyebrow.

“What do you think?” He frowned, releasing her arm. She made no effort to move, perched at the edge of the booth seat, watching as the expressions on his face shifted from annoyance to what almost appeared to be defeat. He sighed loudly and scrubbed his hands across his stubbly face. “You're makin' this more difficult than it needs t' be.”

“Because you're oh so charming.” She uttered a bitter laugh, still perched at the edge of the booth seat. Christ, she almost felt sorry for the weird looking fucker. Thanks to the band and fame, he was probably used to having his pick of women and never having to work this hard. She could only imagine how hard it must have been for him before the fame. Couldn't say she pictured a very long line of partners. Sure he smelled good, had some gorgeous eyes and his accent alone could probably snag a few dumbasses into his bed, but the rest of him threw all of this to the wind. He wasn't attractive – not to her anyway. Not to mention the fact that he was a bit too desperate and too aggressive in his approach and this was a huge fucking turn off. Aggression had its place in the game but he was playing the wrong hand.

“You didn't have t' come back an' sit with us,” he grumbled sourly, grabbing his drink. “You accepted the drink an' my offer t' sit with us.” She couldn't deny this. He hadn't twisted her arm to get her back to his table. She'd accepted the offer without a second thought. She could feel his eyes on her as she stewed over his statement a bit. This wasn't the showman she was seeing. This was just him. His words were forward and to the point. After a momentary pause, he cleared his throat. “Obviously we had two very different thins' in mind. Or perhaps you're just a manky lil' tease.”

She opened her mouth to protest, the words dying at her lips. She wasn't a tease. She'd always been reasonably up front about her expectations when it came to meeting men. It was strange because she was both utterly put off by Murdoc but intrigued at the same time. Any other asshole would have been running away with damaged balls or at least a bloody nose if they'd been as persistent and aggressive as he'd been, so it was safe to assume she had already subconsciously accepted his offer as evening companionship. Why continue to break his balls over it and be an ass? He had a point. What exactly did she think was going to happen by tagging along back to his table after accepting his drink? Frowning, she scooted herself back into the booth seat, only catching a glimpse of the broad and toothy smile that had spread across his face.

His hand snaked around her lower back and clamped back down onto her hip, pulling her as close as he could. His scent filled the narrow space between them, his face just inches from hers. He leaned in, brushing his lips against hers briefly before turned his focus to her neck. His other hand was in her hair, fingers tangling painfully in and clutching down hard. A groan escaped from her when his mouth met the skin of her neck, his teeth grazing carefully. He hauled her onto his lap, almost moaning aloud as she straddled his hips. “Freaky lil' minx, yeah?” he breathed, his eyes almost glazed as she rocked against him slowly. Christ almighty, he was hard as a rock beneath her. Shifting beneath her, he moved to meet her body, groaning again as she pressed her body hard to his. The hand in her hair clutched down tightly and pulled her towards him, mouth smashing against hers. She groaned against his mouth, still slowly rocking her body against his. He tasted of cigarettes and booze, but otherwise was a hell of a kisser. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd encountered someone who kissed this good.

Too caught up in the sensations, Hailey hadn't noticed someone approaching their table. The intruders lingered at the side of the table for what seemed like an eternity before finally speaking loud enough for them to hear over the music. “Enjoying yourselves?” Alicia asked. Hailey broke away from the heated kiss, staring up at both Alicia and Jason, who were standing directly beside the table. Alicia fixed her gaze onto Murdoc, not bothering to hide her disgust. “Wow, Hailey....right here in the bar?”

Murdoc did nothing to hide his agitation, waving her away dismissively. “Go an' have your own fun, lovey. Your mate's in good hands.” When Alicia still hadn't move from the table, he peered up at her. “Seriously, woman, your friend is going t' be fine. Time t' shove off, yeah?”

Alicia shot the man a hard look, her expression tense. Hailey could see the muscles in her face twitching as she took in the strange newcomer, both irritated and infuriated at how quickly he dismissed her presence. Hailey hissed through her teeth when he started to nip playfully at her neck. “Don't worry about me,” she huffed. “I'll find my way home later, Ali. Just go and have fun with Jason.”

“See, there might be a bit of a problem with that.” Murdoc cocked an eyebrow, looking up at Hailey's face as he smoothed her hair back. “Who said you were goin' home tonight?”

****************************************************

“Are you going to stare at them all night, Ali?” Jason's words cut through the low din of voices, pulling Alicia back to herself. He'd finally returned with their fresh drinks and was already drinking from his glass as he was sitting down. “Hailey's a grown woman. She can take care of herself.”

Across the bar, she could still see the two of them feeling each other up. The blue-haired one was mingling out on the dance floor and seem to be actively ignoring the spectacle that was unfolding back at his table, though she caught a few worrying glances from him. She could hear some of the other bar patrons whispering about the newcomers but not one attempted to approach them. Alicia had heard about the band's new album and their upcoming live shows through friends who were fans, but hadn't given it much thought beyond that. It was still a bit of a shock to realize they were in Seattle and actually in their dinky little local bar. The surprise was short-lived and had quickly turned to concern as she watched the dark-haired one move in on her friend. She'd heard enough through interviews to know the man was bad news. A womanizing slime-ball who reveled in having his pick of willing women. Lord knew what kind of shit the man had picked up in his zeal to fuck his way around the globe. When she’d first spotted him approaching Hailey, Alicia had fully expected her friend to tell him to kick rocks. To her surprise, the woman accompanied him back to his table and within a short amount of time was practically dry humping him in the booth. “Why him, though?” she asked as she took her drink from him. “Why not what's his face over there with the blue hair? Why not anyone else?”

Laughing loudly, Jason set his own drink down onto the table. “Seriously? Get real, Ali....can you picture Hailey with that dude? I know I can't.” He was still laughing as he took his seat at the table. She reasoned he was right on that account. The blue-haired one – 2D – seemed a bit flaky and timid and would have been a huge turn off for Hailey. She liked her pretty boys, but generally lost interest if they were too passive. Which is what made the scene at the far booth all the more puzzling. The Gorillaz bassist was a far cry from Hailey's normal type and not even really that attractive. Under normal circumstances, Hailey would have laughed at his efforts to get her attention or would have simply ignored him. She refused to waste her time with men she had zero interest in. What did she see in that ugly bastard that led to her accompanying him back to his table for drinks?

Sighing into her drink, Alicia turned her attention to Jason. “He zeroed in on her the moment we walked into the bar, Jason.” He merely nodded in agreement but said nothing to this. She frowned, gesturing towards the back of the bar. “This doesn't concern you?”

“No,” he said in a matter of fact tone. “No, it doesn't. It doesn't concern me because Hailey is thirty-three years old and perfectly capable of handling herself. It doesn't concern me because we've seen Hailey do the exact same thing as him to different men through the years.” Of course he spoke the truth, right? Hailey played the field pretty heavily and rarely ever kept one around for more than a few nights. Alicia had never approved of this behavior but had kept her opinion to herself. Hailey enjoyed some pretty weird things and Alicia had lost count of how many men had rushed out of her room, sporting injuries and cursing at her. It was entirely possible the night would be short-lived for the musician once he figured out the kind of things she loved to do behind closed doors.

“Okay fine, I'll buy that,” she muttered as she returned her attention to the spectacle across the way. “But have you ever read the interviews with this guy? It's just fucking gross. What if he gets popped with drugs and she happens to be with him? What if he passes something to her? He's snorted and fucked his way around the planet. He's an STD on two legs.”

Chuckling, Jason gave a small nod of acknowledgment. “And again, let me remind you that Hailey has done the same through Seattle. She has this, Ali. She's not naïve or stupid.”

Still frowning, she glanced over at the back booth before turning her attention back to Jason. “You see the way the singer keeps looking at them? He's worried too. Something isn't right about this, Jason. Not right at all.” She wanted desperately to run up to 2D and ask him what was wrong. You don't keep giving worried and scared looks unless you were worried and scared of something. A sigh escaped from her as she lowered her gaze to her drink and swirled around the ice. “You know Hailey almost as well as I do, Jay. You have to agree that the man is far from the type we've seen her with, right?”

Jason gave a dismissive shrug of his shoulders. “She could also just be eager to fuck someone famous just to say she did.” He smiled when her own face cracked into a smile. “She's probably a closet groupie, Ali.”

“Maybe,” she said through a laugh. Funny as it was, Alicia knew it wasn't the case. Or maybe it was? She liked to think she was pretty well versed on Hailey's lifestyle and none of this fit. The bassist had been persistent and aggressive in his pursuit and Hailey appeared to not mind at all. Hailey had even said herself that she despised desperation and those who continued to be persistent after she’d made it clear she wasn’t interested. Yet she was suddenly on top of the man after she’d spent several minutes swatting his hands off of her? Jason was trying like hell to explain it all but nothing being said eased her building fear that something was terribly wrong with the situation. Alicia had to trust her gut on this. Even if she was willing to brush it aside at first because of her intense dislike of the man, seeing the singer's frequent glances back at the table and the strange look of worry on his pale features had been enough for her to listen to the inner voice screaming at the top of its lungs that Hailey needed to put as much distance between herself and the bassist as humanly possible.

“Another thing,” Jason added, still smirking from his poor joke. “She has some pretty intense kinks and not many men are prepared for that.”

Alicia caught movement at the far side of the bar. Hailey was rising from the table and Murdoc was following. Something was said between them, something Alicia couldn't hear, before Murdoc broke away to fetch the singer. It was clear the singer wanted to remain and dance, but Murdoc kept gesturing over his shoulder. The exchange was brief, but stern, with 2D lowering his head like a beaten puppy dog and trailing behind Murdoc as the shorter man returned to Hailey's side. Alicia watched as the three exited the bar, her mouth open but no sound coming out. Hailey hadn't even bothered to let her know she was taking off. They'd always done that. It had been a precautionary measure they'd agreed to in the wake of some assaults that had taken place a few years back. Keep track of each other and who they were with so if something happened, they could provide as much information as possible. So were they planning to return to their hotel or planning to find another bar? Last call was still a few hours away, so they could have easily been in search of another watering hole. It occurred to Alicia that not only did she have no idea where they were going, she had no idea even where they were staying. And now with the famous newcomers finally gone, the rest of the bar started whispering about their visit in hushed voices. A few pointed in Alicia's direction with whispers of her friend's name. She was surprised they weren't outright assaulting her and Jason with questions about it.

“I know you're worried about it,” Jason said finally. “And there's no reason to be worried. Hailey doesn't take shit and won't let anything happen. And by the looks of things, she'll have a great tale of debauchery to share for years to come.” He was grinning at her as he nursed his drink. Okay, so she had to give him that. He was right. If the night went the way it was looking for Hailey, she'd have some shit to share for years and years. And there'd be no shame in her game either. But why couldn't she shake those strange looks of worry she'd seen on 2D? He had looked truly concerned. Was it possible that his concern had more to do with the bassist's predatory bed hopping? Maybe the bassist had a girlfriend back home and this alone could be why the singer had kept staring at them.

She didn't know what to really think. She only knew that she didn't care for the strange ill feeling that twisted in her gut. Didn't care for the whispering voice in the back of her head that kept insisting something was terribly amiss with the two men. She needed to stomp that voice out. There was no reason for her to feel this overly protective. Jason was right. Hailey had this. She'd laid out men twice Murdoc's size so there was little doubt in her ability to protect herself should the situation warrant it. Hailey was looking to have fun and had found it. It was just a one night stand. Nothing more and nothing less.

************************************************************

The elevator chimed as it slowly climbed upwards. Murdoc leaned against the wall, vaguely aware of 2D's stare, but mostly focused on the woman at his side and the raging erection in his trousers. Face-ache was probably mad they didn't stay out very long but whatever. Some things were a bit more important, like the prospect of getting his balls drained. And as the elevator made it's trek up the levels, all he could think about was what he could do to the woman. He'd have his way and then some before casting her out of his room and into the night. The more he thought about what he could do once he got her into his room, the more his erection ached. Fucking hell, the woman had nearly brought him to the brink while in the booth. Things had gotten so fucking heated, he'd nearly blown his load then and there. He probably could have fucked her senseless right in that booth but could feel the woman's friend staring at them and had decided in those moments they'd have more fun if they just went back to the hotel.

It was difficult to keep himself contained. The last several months had been an exhausting nightmare of short term stops, rehearsals, sound checks and packed auditorium shows. Not one chance to really take pause and relax. Those involved with keeping the tour running as smoothly as possible had made it clear they were on a tight schedule. Murdoc could admit to almost crying with joy when he'd realized they would be in Seattle for at least several days. The first thing on his agenda once they'd gotten settled in their hotel rooms had been to figure out where some local watering holes were located. Google had been his friend in those moments, sifting through the various names and reviews of all the different clubs, bars and pubs the Emerald City had to offer. Big and flashy had sounded fun but in the end, something a bit more low key won out. The little hole in the wall bar hadn't been far from their lodgings – walking distance – and the atmosphere of the place had been welcoming and pleasant.

He'd spotted the woman sitting alone at the end of the bar. There'd been a few others who'd caught his attention as well, but he kept turning his focus back to the one at the bar. Dark hair that rested just below her shoulders, dressed casually and – this made him smile for some reason – gesturing with her hands as she spoke with the bartender. When he'd ordered the drink and asked that it be given to her, the bartender had raised an eyebrow at him, but said nothing. As he approached her, he caught a glimpse of a few of the bar patrons staring at him and the Dent-head. She'd had yet to notice him and had been staring at this new drink in confusion. Standing directly behind her, he'd caught wind of whatever she used for perfume. It was light, but sweet and pleasant. At least she wasn't one of those who drowned in the shit. Whatever it was she used, it was strong enough to catch a whiff of but not completely overpower enough to singe his nose-hairs. When she'd finally turned to face him, he'd been a bit surprised at how plain she'd been. Only a light touch of make-up on her face, her hair brushed out and styled simply, round oval shaped face with green eyes that had stared back at him warily.

He hadn't been quite sure why he'd picked the dark haired woman. There'd been several other women in the small bar who had fit his usual hunting habits. Many had been quite young and this had put him on high alert, not wanting to deal with another legal fiasco should it be revealed the woman was younger than she'd claimed. The woman at the bar looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties and judging by the bare fingers on her hand – not taken. And while most of the groupie fodder in the bar had been staring at him and whispering, the woman had merely given him an annoyed look and returned her attention to her drink. She hadn't recognized him! She'd had a fucking rock god in her midst and she'd barely flinched at the sight of him. And even now, knowing who they were, she hadn't made a huge deal about it. Part of him was a little put off by this, but another part of him actually felt relieved. He didn't want to talk about the band or the tour or the travel, he just wanted to bury his cock into her. He was about to get his wish in the next ten minutes or so and just the anticipation alone had him hard and aching for it.

When the elevator stopped with a chime and the doors opened, he all but dragged her out. Face-ache lingered behind them a few steps, long enough to dig out his key card and go to his room, which was next door to Murdoc's room. Murdoc located the key card quickly and shoved it into the slot with trembling hands. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see 2D staring at them with his door ajar. “Get t' your room, twerp,” he grumbled as he pushed his own door open and shoved the woman through. 2D did as he was told without a word, disappearing into his room and closing the door behind him. Murdoc slipped into his own room and shut the door as quietly as he dared.

The woman stood in the middle of the room, looking around the lavish suite and trying like hell to hide her amazement at the size of the room. Murdoc had spared no expense when it had come to their lodgings. Smaller rooms were certainly suitable when you were only in a city less than twenty-four hours, but seeing they'd be in Seattle five days, he'd wanted something as comfortable and spacious as possible. He hadn't planned on getting much in the way of sleep, but still wanted the luxury he'd grown accustomed to. His eyes still on the woman, he secured the bolt in the door and slowly approached her. She didn't move, matching his stare, the ghost of a smile on her face. Pausing a few feet away from her, he gave her another casual one over, his own face slowly curling into a smile. Her strange silence and confidence intrigued him. Normally, the women he brought back to his room – and there'd been plenty of them – would be nervous and giggling messes. Star-struck little groupies who often prattled on about how great he was, how sexy he was and were oh so ready for him to show them how a rock god takes his spoils. Imagine their idiotic surprise when this fantasy became a reality and they were given a front row seat to what he liked behind closed doors. His darker tastes were no secret, so if these brain-dead little tarts were shocked, it was on them for not reading his interviews.

This made the Hailey woman all the more intriguing. Her breathing had quickened, but otherwise she appeared perfectly calm and collected. After a moment of silence between them, he started to work the buttons of his shirt, shedding it off and casting it towards his suitcase. She picked up on the cue and pulled her blouse over her head and dropped it to her feet. Her skin was blazing hot beneath his hands as he slowly ran his fingers and palms across her arms, her sides, slowly working his way around to her back to unlatch the cutesy little brassiere she wore. Once he got her free of the brassier, he shuffled them towards him bed, eager to run his hands over more of her skin. He could feel her hands slide across his back, pausing as they traveled across old scars. Even in the dim lights of the room, he dully noted faint discolorations on her own skin, the kind of discoloration that only came from scarring. He mentally tucked this information away as he brought his mouth to her throat, his erection throbbing at the sound of her voice in his ear. When she fell back to the bed, his moved his mouth from her neck and down the length of her body, picking up the faint texture changes as his lips drifted across her skin and those faint scars that marred her chest and stomach.

He could see her eyes staring down at him as he slowly unbuttoned her jeans and peeled them away, revealing some plain cotton panties and more scars. “Cutter?” he whispered huskily, running his lips across her thighs. Her silence made him pause long enough to flick his eyes back up to hers. She silently shook her head, leaning back onto her elbows, shifting her legs enough to open them wider, allowing him more room for his roaming mouth and hands. Smoothing his hands across her stomach, he caught the elastic with his nails and slowly pulled them away and off her ankles. Cock throbbing painfully within the confines of his jeans, he applied a few playful licks and nips before finally stepping back, unbuckling his belt and unbuttoning his jeans. He allowed his mouth to travel around her thighs, tongue lashing out against her heat, feeling her hips jerk with each flick. As he slowly moved to crawl the length of her body, he felt her hands in his hair suddenly, clutching down almost painfully and forcing his head back down to her sex. “You wanna fuck m’ face, eh?” he chuckled before burying his face into her, tongue sliding in. A strangled cry erupted from her, hips raised as he drove his tongue in as deep as he dared. Drawing back enough to slick his fingers, he buried his face back into her and allowed his hand to search beneath her rump, fingers sliding in from there, another strange huffing cry coming from her. He worked both entrances mercilessly, his tongue lashing her from within while his fingers worked the tightness of her arse.

She came quick and hard, her voice echoing loudly in the room. Murdoc smiled as he stepped back and grabbed his jeans, rummaging through a pocket. As much as he hated these little inconveniences, he knew it was a necessary evil. He hadn’t made it the last forty-four years alone on pure luck. Crawling across her quickly as he rolled the condom over his throbbing erection, he grabbed her chin roughly and jerked her head hard to the side, exposing her neck. It was his turn now. He drove his teeth into her neck as he rammed himself into her as hard as he could, feeling her body almost buck beneath him. She was wetness and heat and still fucking coming as he rode into her. Jesus christ almighty, every fucking nerve ending was picking up on her body flexing around his cock. One of her hands reached up, tearing at his hair, her green eyes almost wild as she grinned up at him, the leer matching his own. Her other hand came out of nowhere, connecting hard into the side of his face. Freezing mid-thrust, he stared down at her, momentarily stunned. There was only that strangely smug smile on her face, her eyes dark and almost shining. Curling his lips from his teeth, he reached into her hair, clutching hard and yanking her head back as he continued to drive into her. “I’m not done with you yet,” he snarled, holding her firm and diving his head down to her breast, biting down hard enough for her to cry out through her moans.

He took his time, dragging his nails across the skin of her back as he rode her hard. Breaking away so he could drag her from the bed and slam her down into the table face down and drive hard into her from behind. Every moan, every cry, every hiss and scream driving him further. She fought back, slapping and scratching, but the strange smile and heated eyes always there, urging him to continue. He had her by the throat finally, pressed against the wall as he hooked her legs into his hips so he could drive hard into her arse, knowing he was reaching the end. He squeezed down on her throat, feeling her pulse pound against his hand, her body moving to meet his thrusts. Her hands tore at his hair, her voice rising as she rode through another climax, practically demanding that he pound into her harder and quicker. He was almost there. He could feel it and hearing her voice in his ear pleading with him to go as deep as he could sent his synapses into a tail spin. Clutching down on her thighs, he used his grip to drag her down onto him to meet his thrusts, burying his cock to the hilt.

When the moment hit, he’d cried out, almost panting as his hips flexed reflexively against her, still holding her up against the wall. Her arms were limp on his shoulders, one leg finally sagging down to the floor. Still trying to collect his bearings, he raised a sweaty head and took in the welts and scratches across her body, the redness of her cheeks from where his own hands had struck. There were a few spots on his body that ached and one area in particular where her nails had broken skin. He disengaged from her body slowly and peeled the condom off, tossing it aside into what he’d hoped was the waste basket. He’d fucking needed that. The Hailey woman was momentarily forgotten as he turned and went over to the mini-fridge. Uncapping a beer, he leaned against the small desk, watching as the woman slowly collected her belongings. At least she knew the routine. But sweet Satan, she’d surprised him. Usually once he revealed the things he liked, the women freaked out and wanted out of the situation ASAP. Not this one. She’d not only loved it, she unleashed it right back and it had fired him up hotter and hotter.

She was almost fully dressed, not saying anything as she simply tucked her brassier into her bag and fumbled around for her shirt. He’d encountered enough hellcats through the years that had amused him enough to hold onto them for more than a night. And after the dry spell he’d had, it would be stupid to let this one go. Keep her around a few days at least. He had a lot of catching up to do as far as fucking was concerned. Hell, just thinking about the possibility of fucking her again was already making his cock twinge in anticipation. “Err....leavin’ so quickly?” he asked finally, dropping into the bed.

“Don’t want to over-stay my welcome,” she said in a matter of fact tone. “We had our fun, right?”

“That we did...” He patted the space on the bed beside him. “An’ I never said that was it, now did I? So c’mon now, get those trousers off an’ hop on in. We’re not done.”


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Alicia woke to nothing but silence save for Jason’s soft snores beside her. There was some grey morning light trying to seep through the slats of the blinds and a quick glance at her bedside clock told her it was just going on nine in the morning. Rising from her bed, she padded out of the room and down the hall towards Hailey’s bedroom. She couldn’t recall if she’d heard her come in any time through the night. Hailey wasn’t necessarily quiet so if she had come back, Alicia was sure she would have heard her. Greeted with the empty room, she frowned and wandered out to the living room. No indications whatsoever that Hailey had come back. Opening up the blinds in the living room and kitchen, she listened to the sounds outside the front door as she busied herself with making a fresh pot of coffee. Why did it still bother her that Hailey had gone off with that man? Jason was right about the fact that Hailey had it under control. But all Alicia could still see was the worried looks the singer kept making every time he looked back at the table. Could have been anything, really. Perhaps the bassist had a girlfriend back home and he was out sampling thirty-one flavors while he toured? Maybe the singer had been tasked with keeping Murdoc in line for said girlfriend and had lost control? Alicia shook her head, almost laughing aloud. She didn’t know much about the musicians but there was no way in hell that singer could keep the other man on a short leash. He flinched every time Murdoc looked at him wrong. If there was a girlfriend back home, she certainly wouldn’t be stupid enough to rely on the singer to keep the other man faithful in any way.

With the coffee brewing, she grabbed her cell phone and stepped out onto the balcony and lit a cigarette, staring out at the city skyline. As pricey as these apartments had been, one couldn’t argue with the view they were given. They had a perfect view of the city and bay, ten stories up. A few skyscrapers towered above them from the other side, but at least none of them obstructed the view. She smoked her cigarette in silence, occasionally glancing down at her phone screen. There were no missed texts, the last one from Hailey sent out yesterday just before she’d left her work. Sighing, Alicia set her cell phone aside and sank back into the patio chair, trying to enjoy the smells of freshly brewed coffee as it traveled through the open slider door. From within the apartment, she could hear noises and movement. Rising from the chair, Alicia darted in, almost groaning with disappointment when she only saw Jason sleepily pouring himself a mug of coffee. He peered up at her, eyes still heavy with sleep, sandy brown hair sticking up on one side. “No Hailey yet?”

“No.” Alicia fixed herself a cup and went back out onto the balcony. “Debating over texting her.” Jason gave a sleepy and half-hearted shrug in response as he sipped from his mug and followed her out onto the balcony. Alicia dropped back into her patio chair and resumed her cigarette. It had always bugged Hailey how much Alicia worried about her. One would think she’d have accepted it by now after almost twenty years of friendship. Alicia worried because Hailey often made impulsive and brash decisions. Alicia worried because Hailey didn’t process things like her and Jason did. How could Alicia not worry? Hailey’d had a rough life and had spent most of her youth fighting to get to where she was. She’s clawed and punched her way to the top of the heap. She was willing to scrap with anyone who so much as looked at her cross-eyed. She didn’t give a damn what people thought of her or her lifestyle. This was how she wanted to live her life and everyone else could fuck right off. Rubbing elbows and making nicey nice in their different social circles never interested her. All Hailey wanted to do was keep to herself, talk shit and shoot the shit with Alicia, break Jason’s balls, fuck whoever she wanted and continue collecting her silly little figurines.

Sighing, she got to her feet and went back inside to refill her coffee mug. They had errands to run today and maybe she could talk to Hailey then. At least let her know that running off with strange men wasn’t a very smart decision. There was also the Halloween party Alicia and Jason still had to prepare for, the party scheduled for tomorrow night. The party Hailey refused to attend because of several guests being connected to someone she hated with a burning passion. Alicia had tried numerous times to convince her to go, but Hailey wouldn’t budge. She wasn’t going to attend a party just to put on fake smiles for a pack of bitches. Welcome to adulthood You do things you don’t want to do. You put up with people you hate. Alicia grumbled under her breath, feeling her agitation rise. She didn’t need to be getting worked up before Hailey even stepped foot back into the apartment. She had a better chance of convincing Hailey to tag along if she approached it calmly. It would be good for Hailey to get out. Good for her to meet new people. Maybe even find a boyfriend. Alicia couldn’t even remember the last time Hailey had held onto anyone longer than a few weeks, her tastes and interests driving too many away. Maybe they’d get lucky and she’d find someone who was normal and interested in something long term? Sure would be nice to see the same face coming out of Hailey’s room on a daily basis for once.

The sound of keys jingling from outside the front door caught Alicia’s attention. The door opened, revealing a disheveled Hailey slowly stepping into the apartment and closing the door behind her. She was still wearing last night’s clothing, her shirt inside out and hanging off of her body sloppily, her hair matted and tangled and sticking up around the back. Hungover eyes met hers as the dark haired woman simply dropped her things by the door and went straight for the coffee. Her walk was stiff and she was practically hobbling across the kitchen towards the coffee-maker. Alicia smirked, ready to make some wise-ass comment, the words dying on her lips once her eyes dropped to Hailey’s neck, spying redness and bruising that laced around her throat, disappearing behind her dark hair. “Jesus, what did he do to your neck?” she asked suddenly.

“Taking the fifth,” Hailey muttered as she drained her cup. “I need a shower and some food. But first – coffee and a smoke.” She poured herself another cup and quickly retreated to the balcony, immediately lighting up a cigarette. Alicia trailed behind, hearing her greet Jason as she dropped into one of the patio chairs. Outside in the natural light, Alicia could see more bruising that circled around Hailey’s neck and her face looked red and inflamed. Catching her stare, Hailey peered up at her through tangled dark hair. “It’s rude to stare, Ali.”

“Do I event want to know how last night went?” Seating herself in the chair next to Hailey, she gestured at her neck and face. “Looks like he beat the shit out of you.”

“Told you, I’m taking the fifth.” She chuckled to herself as she drank her coffee, cigarette burning between her fingers. “I think we only got a few hours of sleep at the most and that’s all I’m going to say about it.”

“That good, huh?” Alicia chuckled. “Not going to lie, though, I never would have pegged you for a groupie, woman.”

“I’m not,” Hailey whispered as she drained the coffee and finished her cigarette. “He was looking for a fuck, I was looking for a fuck, and it worked out in the end. He definitely surprised me in more ways than one.” She paused a moment, almost smirking at Alicia as she stubbed out her cigarette. “You think I look roughed up....holy fuck, woman, you should see what he looked like when I finally left.”

Alicia wrinkled her nose. Hailey had never hid her tastes but usually those tastes scared off quite a few bed partners. She liked things rough. She liked to hurt and be hurt. And it wasn’t just the occasional hair pull or maybe a quick grab at the throat in play. She wanted to be able to hit, to scratch, to have her hair pulled hard enough to hurt and if you planned to put your hands on her throat, you’d better be ready to choke her out. If the marks on her neck and even her reddened face were any indication, Alicia could only imagine what the rest of her body looked like beneath the clothing. It was one of the things about Hailey that Alicia just couldn’t wrap her brain around. Hailey had been horrifically abused as a child. Her body was covered in scars from beatings and cigarette burns. She’d suffered other abuses as well, abuses that just made her kinks all the more confusing. Given her background, one would think such violent play would be triggering for her, but she not only loved it, she reveled in it. It was possible that her violent sex play had root in her childhood traumas, but it could easily just be the kind of thing she liked. Not everything had to have some weird Freudian connection, right? Hailey said lots of people liked it rough, but Alicia had never met anyone who liked those kinds of things that hadn’t come from some kind of dysfunction.

It seemed unreal that they’d known each other nineteen years now. So very different from one another but becoming close friends all the same. Hailey had arrived in Alicia’s neighborhood as a foster placement. The neighbors who lived a few houses down had fostered numerous kids over the years, mostly hard to place kids with significant issues. Alicia could remember seeing the new girl sitting in the front yard with a book. Alicia had been twelve, almost thirteen at the time and Hailey had been fourteen. Hailey had been small for her age and Alicia had initially thought that the new girl was her age or younger. Long dark hair that often looked unkempt, her clothing clearly second hand and either too big or too small, though that did change when Barbara took her shopping for clothing that not only fit, but was popular with kids their age. She could remember not believing Hailey when she told her how old she was and had been surprised when the neighbors had confirmed her age. Alicia’s parents had been hesitant about her befriending the new girl, knowing that Barbara and Adam DeWitt worked specifically with at risk children who were a court date or two away from being shipped off to group homes or juvenile detention. Alicia had ignored their warnings, curious about the new girl. When she’d first introduced herself, Hailey had been wary and stand-offish, unwilling to accept that this tall and lanky girl with the white blond hair would want anything to do with her.

Their age difference initially had them attending different schools, but by the time Hailey was junior in high school, Alicia had joined as a freshman. Hailey had been dealing with some pretty intense bullying from some of the popular cliques and had seemed a bit relieved once Alicia had joined her, the two of them sharing a few classes. She’d even saved Hailey from being expelled after the girl had been cornered in one of the bathrooms by a pack of popular boys hell bent on kicking the shit out of her. She didn’t win the fight, but she’d given as good as she got and several of the boys had retreated with broken noses, cuts, bites and a few black eyes before they’d finally overwhelmed her. Of course, they had all claimed that Hailey had antagonized them and it had been Alicia and another girl who’d been picked on by these same boys who had come forward in Hailey’s defense, the other bullied girl had even been in the girls’ toilet at the time and had witnessed the altercation. Alicia had been friends with some of the popular crowd so when word got out that Alicia had backed up the ugly little foster kid and not her_ real friends_, they were quick to ostracize her as well. High school had been just another level of hell for Hailey, only looking at that magical graduation date so she could get the fuck out and move on with her life. Alicia’s high school life had only been marginally better, but she had soon fallen victim to the popular kids and their bullying. All because she’d defended her friend and had been able to get the ringleader of Hailey’s attackers suspended and kicked off the basketball team.

Hailey did graduate and graduated with some pretty high marks. This had allowed her to obtain a few scholarships and grants, giving her a pick of several in-state colleges. Alicia joined her a few years later, discovering that college life wasn’t that much different than high school life. The popular ones still stuck to their cliques and the unpopular ones were ostracized. The leader of one of the sorority houses was a petite red-headed trust fund baby by the name of Chloe Turner. If you didn’t come from money, you were dirt under her shoe and she made sure you knew your place. She’s seen Hailey as nothing more than a piece of trash who got into college on charity because she’d been a poor foster kid. More than once, Alicia and the sorority sisters had to break up fights between the two women. Chloe had become a thorn in Hailey’s side, taking far too much pleasure in following Hailey around just to remind her that she was nothing. When Hailey graduated and finally sought out employment, snagging a job at a local ad agency as part of their human resources team, the bitch actually made a point to have her daddy bully the agency into giving her a job there just so she could make sure everyone knew that Hailey was a whoring charity case.

Alicia could admit that it had been kind of amusing that Chloe was calling Hailey a charity case seeing that Chloe used her daddy to get the job while Hailey had busted her ass to get her degree and got the job through hard work and some pretty stellar interview skills. The two women had now been working together for at least a good seven years and the hostility between them could be felt miles away. But Hailey had become a champ at not letting shit get under her skin anymore. She’d heard it all and suffered it all so some tiny little red-headed bitch with a superiority complex was nothing to her. Some days Hailey actually enjoyed it when Chloe ran her mouth because she could dance circles around her and walk away laughing.

Hailey emerged from the apartment again, this time freshly showered and in clean clothing. There was mention of needing to go to the store because they were running low on some things, like coffee creamer and Golden Grahams. Alicia sluggishly got to her feet and dropped off her empty coffee mug in the sink on her way to her room. From behind her, she could hear Jason and Hailey chatting about their famous visitors. While Hailey was keeping the more intimate details of their time together under wraps, she did mention that the two actually had talked quite a bit and she had been surprised at how different he was in private. Alicia closed the bedroom door behind her, muting their voices. Talk about quite the night. Hailey was going to have a tale to tell for years to come.

************************************************

Parking for the local market was always a bitch. It was probably one of the biggest pet peeves Hailey had about living in downtown Seattle. Most people were smart and took transit, but Hailey had always insisted on taking her little silver compact. It was one of the newer Ford models, boasting great gas mileage (if you weren’t stuck in bumper to bumper traffic) and electronic everything. Hailey had wanted a Honda Pilot, but couldn’t justify buying one of those beasts simply due to the fact that she lived in the heart of the fucking city and the gas mileage on those things were half of what the Focus got on a heavy traffic day. So she was stuck with a stupid model that everyone under the fucking sun had, besides those ugly-ass Priuses. Could be worse, she reasoned. Could be driving one of those CRV’s. Everyone had one of those and it seemed like everyone had the same damned color too.

Maneuvering the Focus into the parallel slot, both Hailey and Alicia stepped out of the car and walked down the block towards the main entrance of the market. It was cold and Hailey found herself hugging her parka tighter to her body. She’d applied some make up to her neck to disguise the bruising as much as she could, satisfied with her handiwork enough to venture back out into the public. The redness of her cheeks could be passable as being pink from the cold. She kept thinking back to the morning hours when she’d first awoken, realizing she was still in the hotel suite. She’d tried to get up and rush getting dressed, assuming Murdoc would want her gone by the time he awoke. To her surprise, he was already awake and reading, watching her stumble around in a rush with a weird little smile on his face. It had still been dark outside, the clocks indicating it was barely past six. She’d about jumped out of her skin when she realized he was simply laying there and watching her, laughing to himself when she gasped and nearly tripped over her shoes. “Shame you’re gettin’ dressed,” he’d said, still laughing as he went to the little coffee maker and poured two cups. “I was kinda hopin’ we could squeeze a little more in b’fore you took off.”

Holy hell, was the man making up for lost time or what? They’d done it several times the night before, only stopping finally due to exhaustion and then after what was maybe four hours of sleep, he was raring to go again. They’d conversed a bit in between and she’d asked about the scars on his back. He didn’t go into much detail, only saying that the scars were from his father. He’d then asked about some of her scars, particularly the weird ones across her thighs. Foster home number who knows, she’d no longer kept track. She’d been about ten or eleven and the scars had been from being switched with an electrical cord. It had certainly detoured into a weird conversation about their backgrounds but he had appeared genuinely curious about hers. It was probably all just feigned interest to keep her from taking off before he was done with her, but she could admit it had been nice just talking with him. He told her about various debacles he’d been in while touring and how frustrating it was when a woman claimed she was into the kind of stuff he liked but couldn’t back her ass up. Told her how he’d soon discovered that most groupies willing to ride his dick backstage were mostly young women with severe daddy issues who panicked the moment he pulled their hair. “Christ, maybe I wanna be choked out too.” he’d said. “I dun’ wanna have t’ do all the work! Gets dull.” They’d talked a bit more about things and eventually returned to letting their hands and mouths roam which led to more pleasant distractions. Two hours and three different positions later, she was hobbling through the lobby on shaky legs and stumbling down the sidewalk from the hotel in a bow-legged walk of shame back to her car.

Alicia grabbed a shopping cart as they wandered through the aisles. After several hours and a shower later, Hailey could walk a little more easily, but she was certainly getting some side eye from Alicia. She’d been mostly silent through their trip and Hailey wondered if she was still trying to process what had happened last night. She could admit she should have told Ali that she was taking off back to his hotel suite but her hormones had pretty much taken control. Upon reaching the cereal aisle, Alicia finally spoke up. “So I have to ask....was it everything you dreamed of?”

Hailey snickered as she dropped her box of cereal into the cart. “You have no idea.” She held up her hands, spacing them out a bit with a smirk on her face and erupting into a snorting laugh when Alicia went wide eyed. As they passed by a woman trying to wrangle two small children, Hailey dropped her voice to a whisper. “It was fucking intense. Definitely going down in my record book.”

“I can only imagine, seeing you can barely walk straight.” Laughing, Alicia made a few exaggerated steps, mocking how Hailey had been walking. When Hailey started laughing harder, Alicia gestured towards the front of the store. “Do we need to get you one of those scooters? Did he break your hips?”

“Almost,” Hailey snorted.

Still smirking, Alicia turned and started to push the cart forward. “Well, you had your fun and have a great story to tell. I just hope riding that thing didn’t completely spoil you. And next time, let me know when you’re gonna leave, dude. I was worried as hell when I woke up and you weren’t back yet.”

Hailey lingered behind a few steps, frowning at Alicia’s back. “Yeah, shoulda called or whatever, I know.” She knew that had been coming. She’d overheard enough earlier between Ali and Jason to know that Ali had not handled her running off with the musician well. It had been stupid and impulsive of her to do so, she could definitely agree with that. But Alicia also seemed to have made up her mind to dislike the man. A bad feeling, she’d claimed. Something not right. Hailey only vaguely remembered feeling like something was a bit off about the two musicians, but most of those warnings went wayside once he’d buried his face into her with that fucking tongue. She’d brushed them off as simply a case of the jitters because the man was a world famous musician and he was about to fuck her brains out. If her internal warnings had been trying to tell her anything by the time she’d left, it had been to soak in a hot fucking bath because he’d damned near split her in fucking two.

Traveling through the meat department, Alicia occasionally asked if a particular cut of meat sounded good versus a different cut of meat. Hailey gave vague responses, not really caring one way or another. Was it weird that all she could think about was how fucking good he’d been when hours before that she’d been rebuffing his advances and more or less telling him to fuck off? For a short and weird little dude, he’d been packing some serious heat and he sure as hell knew how to use it, nothing to say of that tongue of his. Strangely enough, once she got past his unconventional appearance, she’d found him funny and conversation had come easy between them. They’d spent the better part of nine or ten hours fucking, talking, fucking some more, sleeping a little and then fucking again. She certainly had no illusions about what was going on, but had been a bit confused when he’d asked for her number before she’d left. “The Face-Ache irritates me an’ I think you’ll be better company while we’re here.” She’d left him her number and after a few more jokes and laughs, he’d escorted down to the main lobby where she’d finally hobbled her ass towards her car.

Probably kept a scrapbook of all the numbers he’d gotten, she thought to herself with a chuckle. She could practically picture it – Murdoc painstakingly taping numbers to a notebook with dates and cities where he’d obtained them. Maybe he jacked off to some of them. Laughing loudly, she caught Alicia’s confused expression as the blond searched through the produce bins. All Hailey could do was just wave her away as she continued to laugh. Enough of that. The weekend was upon them and she wanted to enjoy her time off. Alicia and Jason would be attending a Halloween party tomorrow night and Hailey had been looking forward to having the apartment to herself. They’d invited her, but she had refused. She didn’t care for that particular group of friends Ali had. They had always been kind to Hailey, but it had been clear she was the outsider to their group. She was fine with that. They weren’t her type anyway. Besides, one or two of the guests were friends with Chloe Turner and no way in hell was Hailey going to be there if that cunt Chloe showed up. Not unless people wanted to call the police by the end of the night.

They’d finally checked out and were loading the car when Hailey’s phone buzzed in her back pocket. Frowning, she pulled the cell out and stared at the screen, brow twitching in confusion. Alicia was already looking over her shoulder, frowning at the unfamiliar number also. Local area code, probably a telemarketer or something. Tentatively, Hailey answered, bringing the phone to her ear. “Hello?”

“It’s ‘bout bloody time you answered, woman,” Murdoc grumbled from the other end. “How often you let your phone just ring? What if I’d been that Publisher’s Clearin’ House nonsense? Woulda missed out on bank, girl!” From his end of the phone, she could hear movement and what sounded like paper shuffling. She couldn’t find her words, her mouth suddenly dry and useless. A strange squeak erupted from her and he started chuckling. “Cat got yer tongue, eh?”

Swallowing hard, she took a breath. “You’re actually calling me?” Alicia was looking at her and leaning in, trying to hear. Swatting her away, Hailey stepped aside, gesturing for Alicia to get into the car. “Wait...are you calling me from the hotel phone?”

There were more noises followed by some muttered grumbling before his voice came back on the line. “Where else would I be callin’ from? D’ you have any idea what the roamin’ charges would be if I used my personal cell?”

“So what do I owe this honor?” Lighting a cigarette, she caught sight of Alicia’s shocked expression as she mouthed out “Is that him?” towards her. Nodding her head, she turned so her back was to Alicia. “I honestly didn’t expect you to actually call.”

“I told ya! Face-Ache isn’t any fun an’ the fucker bores me t’ tears most days. I was serious ‘bout keepin’ in touch with you while I was in town. Unless of course, you only intended t’ use an’ abuse me...?” She could almost hear the leer on his face as he spoke. She heard the familiar click of a lighter and the sizzle of a cigarette, his voice changing just enough to assume he had a cigarette pressed between his lips. “An’who, was wonderin’ what you were doin’ tomorrow evenin’. An’ dun’ you dare say you’re busy.”

“I’m not busy, as a matter of fact.” She wasn’t sure her body was ready for another bout of fuck every hole, but it beat sitting around the house while everyone went to parties. “Why do you ask?”

He let out a few hacking coughs before speaking over the very clear sound of urination. “So, as part of this tour bullshit, the suits have me attendin’ this soddin’ costume party at some art gallery. It’s all pure promotional rubbish that’ll probably bore me t’ fuckin’ tears. Want t’ tag ‘long an’ be bored with me?”

“Jesus, are you taking a piss while talking on the phone with me?” The words came tumbling out of her mouth before her brain could shut it down. “And what about your singer? Wouldn’t he want to go?”

Still urinating, he laughed. “T’ answer your first question – yes. Yes I am. Just woke up from a catnap an’ my fuckin’ teeth were floatin’. T’ answer the next two questions – no way in hell am I bringin’ that idiot t’ a high end gala. B’sides, he has more important thins’ t’do – like learn the fuckin’ music an’ get it fuckin’ right.” There was a brief grunt and the sound of a zipper. “So, err....is it a date, love?”

Was this really happening? She turned slowly, seeing Alicia’s shocked but confused expression. “I don’t have a costume, though. I wasn’t planning on going anywhere.”

“As luck would have it, I took the courtesy of checkin’ your clothin’ sizes while you were asleep. Found a shop that had some thins’ in ‘bout your size. Might be a bit big, but reckon it’ll do.”

“What’s the costume?” She could feel her heart slamming in her chest, the world feeling distant and fuzzy around her. Checked her clothes while she slept? How long had he been awake before she’d finally woke and tried to skate out of there? Why not ask her before she had left? Licking her dry lips, she swallowed the weird lump that had formed in the back of her throat, her words coming out shakier than she had anticipated. “W-wha -what am I going as?”

He let out another amused chuckle, clearly getting off on her confusion and shock. “It’s a surprise. So how ‘bout you give me your address an’ I’ll be by ‘round seven tomorrow t’ pick you up.”

***************************************************

Clicking off the wireless ear-piece, Murdoc yanked it off his ear and tossed it to the table. Catching glimpse of his reflection as he dried his freshly washed hands, he scowled at the shirtless man who scowled back. He hadn’t yet shaved for the day and already had a decent about of stubble coming through, great patches on his cheeks coming through silver. Had he always looked this fucking old? Pushing his black hair from his forehead, he examined his hairline. He’d once considered trying a whole new cut but had scratched that when he realized his hairline had receded considerably. No way in hell was he going to advertise that he was balding. Examining the rest of his hair, he paused over the shocks of silver that could be seen in his sideburns and the side of his head. He even had greying chest hair. Hair dye was the magical fountain of youth as of late. He’d been going grey for a few years now. He hadn’t noticed it right away, but one morning he’d simply woken up and it seemed like the entire top of his fucking head had gone silver. He’d started purchasing hair dye right away, unwilling to accept the mortality that too many idiots before him had so willingly accepted. He was Murdoc fucking Niccals and he was just as much a rock god at forty-four as he was when he was thirty-five.

He dug around in his suitcase before finding his razor and shave gel. Might as well get himself cleaned up and moving for the day. It was almost noon and they’d be checking in to the Key Arena for sound checks this afternoon. He had too much to do and didn’t feel like he’d had enough time. After the Hailey woman had left, he’d called up a few costume shops before finding the kind of thing he needed, paying double the deposit to hold it for him so he could grab a cab and get over there. Upon returning from that little trip, he’d noticed 2D’s door wide open and there’d been a stab of panic as he tossed the costume into his own room and ran over to check into 2D’s room. He couldn’t handle another escape attempt. Another escape attempt meant the cyborg he’d built had malfunctioned again and this meant hours of repairing the little tin can bitch before heading out to find the singer. Fortunately for him, he’d found both the Cyborg and 2D down in the lobby taking advantage of what remained of the Continental Breakfast. Cyborg was standing just a few feet away, only garnering a few awkward glances from some of the other hotel patrons.

There were the occasional little voices in the back of his head that told him he had taken things too far, but he hushed them quickly enough. He had to. After Gorillaz had mostly disbanded several years ago, only Murdoc had remained in Kong Studios. Noodle has vanished. Russel decided to leave. Even the Dent-Head decided to take off. Leaving him alone and miserable. Well, he was already mostly miserable at that time, but at least he had company during his misery. Fame and money kept him well stocked in drugs and ass but without the rest of the band to produce more greatness and a few too many people pissed off at him for screwing them over, the fame and money ran out and with it went all the grade A drugs and perky lil’ pieces of ass. One of the groups he’d crossed had been hunting for his hide for several years now and had been responsible for Noodle’s disappearance. For all Murdoc knew, they’d killed her.

He couldn’t think about that. Thinking about that brought pain and pain was weakness. People took advantage of you when you were weak. But he fucking missed Noodle immensely and could admit he’d cried a great deal of tears after the El Manana accident. He missed her intelligence. Missed the sound of her playing her Gibson. Fucking hell, he just missed _her_. She’d been the glue that held them together and once that she was gone, they couldn’t stand each other. Russel and Murdoc had nearly come to blows before Russel said fuck it and left back for the states. 2D hung around enough to irritate Murdoc, but eventually he just left too and for a few years it had just been Murdoc and whatever little trollop he’d managed to drag to his bed. He had eventually just torched the studio, collected the insurance cash and got the fuck out of dodge.

It hadn’t take long to find a new place to call home, even if it was nothing more than a pile of stinking rubbish out in the middle of the south pacific. Through some satellites and a few other technical gizmos, he’d managed to wrangle having a house built and managing his greatest feat ever – building the cyborg using what little of Noodle’s DNA he’d found around the old studio before he’d torched it. A perfect replica of the fourteen year old Noodle. Damned thing was wonky though. Constantly malfunctioned. He was probably bordering on madness at that point, living it up in his stinking mansion on top of a stinking pile of floating rubbish in the middle of the ocean. A pile of rubbish he’d painted pink, because why the fuck not?

Of course, the insurance money from Kong could only get so far too and soon he was running low on funds and supplies. So he’d decided then and there to start a new album and went to work writing out lyrics. Several of the songs were mostly drug induced ramblings, but whatever. He also had those fucking pirates he’d fucked over to worry about. But he’d gone to work, tracking his singer over in Beirut. Snatching him up had been too easy. Finding Russel had proven to be a bit harder and eventually Murdoc just decided to give up. Once he alerted some old collaborator buddies that Gorillaz was getting ready to emerge again after so many years, everyone was soon reaching out to him and the money and advances started pouring in. It came at a price though. He’d tricked several of the album collaborators into coming to record but offered nothing more than their names on the album, a few he’d even outright kidnapped. The cyborg kept fritzing out on him and his singer had zero desire to be a part of the album or live tour, running off in manic efforts to escape nearly every chance he had. In order to keep everything running as smoothly as he could, Murdoc had presented the entire fiasco as one big gimmick. Noodle was merely playing a part. She was a method actor, remained in character even off camera. As for Stu, well he was playing a part too and he was brain damaged anyway.

Slapping the shaving gel onto his face, he slowly worked on shaving away partial beard that had somehow sprouted in the last twenty-four hours. He was tired and agitated. He didn’t want to deal with another sound check but they didn’t have much choice. The other musicians who were participating with the tour were already starting to question things. 2D had completely broken down one evening, sobbing uncontrollably as Murdoc and the Cyborg led him away to get him out of sight. They stared at the Cyborg with confusion because “Noodle” refused to break character. They’d delayed their flight in one of their Midwest stops after 2D had made a break for it and it had taken Murdoc and the Cyborg half the night to find him. There’d been other little things, but everything had been building up and it was becoming more and more difficult to appease the guest musicians. He and Paul got on good enough and as long as you kept some good drink around, he’d be your best mate, but Mick and Cass were starting to pay much closer attention to things than Murdoc wanted. And then there was Jamie and Damon, who’d been riding his arse about nearly everything and he just wanted to rip out his hair and scream. Maybe he should just walk away and disappear?

A soft knock at his door got his attention. Taking one last swipe and rinsing his face, he crossed the distance to the door and yanked it open. 2D stood there, the Cyborg just behind him. Cocking an eyebrow, Murdoc sneered. “What’re you doin’ here? What do you want?”

“When’re we goin’ t’ da sound check?” the singer asked meekly.

“Soon,” Murdoc grunted, turning to walk back to the bathroom and leaving 2D in the doorway. “Dun’ tell me your dumb arse can’t tell time. It’s not for ‘nother few hours.” He dried his face quickly and grabbed his cigarettes, lighting on and dropping into a chair. 2D entered the suite slowly, his black eyes fixed on Murdoc. Pushing the pack of cigarettes towards him, Murdoc grunted. “Go ‘head an’ take one. Might as well sit an’ relax a bit.”

“I can’t relax,” 2D whispered, looking over his shoulder at the Cyborg. “Not wiff dat fink on m’ back all da time.”

“Maybe if you hadn’t decided t’ run off all the fuckin’ time, I wouldn’t need for it t’ be on your back, eh?” Murdoc smoked his cigarette in silence, watching 2D carefully as the singer looked over at the wardrobe bags, lighting his own cigarette with trembling hands. He kept looking at the costumes, frowning. Murdoc uttered a noise, catching the singer’s attention. “Dun’ worry ‘bout those. They’re not for you.”

“Cass said sumfink ‘bout a costume party.” 2D was now looking at him with an almost eager expression. “Are we goin’ t’ da party?”

“_ You’re _ not,” he remarked gruffly, feeling a smidgen of pity for the man when the eager expression collapsed entirely. 2D loved Halloween and Murdoc could even remember with some fondness of 2D and Noodle getting ready to dress up so they could go out to the city and Trick or Treat. They’d tried to get him involved but he hadn’t wanted anything to do with being out there in the miserable cold weather while Stu and Noodle harassed the locals for candy. Taking in the disappointed look on 2D’s face, Murdoc’s hardened expression softened. “Look, mate, it’s a stuffy art gallery shindig. They’re gonna serve shitty food, shitty booze an’ I’m gonna have t’ listen to a bunch of uppity poncey arseholes tell me what they think our music is ‘bout an’ miss by a fuckin’ mile.”

2D looked over at the two garment bags on the bed. “Who else is goin’? I see two garment bags.”

“It’s not your concern, man,” Murdoc said, waving dismissively. “Dun’ worry ‘bout it.”

“Lemme guess, you hired an escort?” The singer was practically smirking at him and Murdoc could feel his agitation rising briefly. Oblivious to Murdoc’s irritation, 2D got to his feet and unzipped one of the bags, examining one of the costumes. “Obviously you’re takin’ a woman.”

“No, Dents, I’m expectin' you t’ be in a dress.” Murdoc rolled his eyes and got to his feet, swatting 2D’s hands away from the costume. He zipped the bag quickly and gestured towards the door to the suite. “Seriously, man, get out of m’ room. We have a few hours b’fore we need t’ head t’ the arena for sound check. Enjoy the free time while we can. Once we leave this soddin’ city, it will be back t’ havin’ zero time t’ ourselves.”

The singer resisted, his gaze now on the scrap of paper by the telephone, his black eyes growing wide. “Is dat da girl you were wiff last night? Da one I heard leavin’ dis mornin’?” He looked back over at the two costumes, before settling his eyes on Murdoc. “You’re takin’ her?”

Shrugging, Murdoc gave the other man a hard shove towards the door. He wasn’t going to explain himself to a dim wit who could barely tie his fucking shoe-laces. They had enough shit on their plate for the day and needed to focus on that. After sound checks, they were planning on meeting up with the other musicians for an early dinner and it was imperative that Dents remain on his best behavior. It was bad enough some of the musicians were starting to question things, he didn’t need the idiot letting something slip or trying to somehow morse code their arses for help. “Look, not gonna get in t’ that right now. We have thins’ t’ do later t’day an’ we can’t muck it up, we crystal?”

“Why you takin’ her an’ not me, Murdoc?” he asked sharply, still resisting Murdoc’s shoves towards the door. “We’re da guests of honor, yeah? It’s s’pose t’ be us, not some floozy you hooked up wiff out of a pub!”

Growling, Murdoc gripped his shoulders and tossed him through his open door as hard as he could. Stumbling out the door, 2D hit the wall across from the suite, catching himself before he collapsed entirely. Chest heaving, Murdoc sneered at the man. “I’ll take who I fuckin’ please, Tusspot. Dun’ ever question me ‘gain.” Standing next to the doorway was Cyborg, patiently awaiting its next orders. Murdoc pointed over at 2D, his eyes locked on the glassy eyes of the Cyborg. “Oi, take his lanky arse back t’ his room. Dun’ let him out until I say so. Capeche?”

Rising to his full height, 2D glowered down at Murdoc, tearing his arm away as Cyborg made a grab for it. “Dis is gonna bite you in da arse, you tosser. You won’t get ‘way wiff dis forever.”

Sneering up at him, Murdoc raised his fist, feeling brief elation when the taller man flinched back. “Keep runnin’ your hole, mate. I won’t hesitate t’ have the Cyborg kick the shit outa you. Now go an’ get outa me sight.” He slammed the door in the singer’s face for emphasis, a heavy sigh escaping from him as he pressed his forehead against the door. Once this tour was over, it was time for a lengthy holiday. He’d never been as stressed as he was now. Why the bloody hell was it so hard for the dullard to cooperate? If he fucking cooperated more, this tour wouldn’t be such a fucking headache, yeah?

But it wasn’t just Dents being his usual difficult self, it was everything else on top of it all. So far the Cyborg hadn’t malfunctioned, but how long before it did? It was programmed not only to play guitar, but also with weapon knowledge and hand to hand combat. It had been built not only to replace their guitarist, but also as a body guard. With all the people sniffing around after him, he’d wanted to be sure that any person who meant to harm him couldn’t get within twenty yards without the tin can picking up on the threat and acting. It had pulled a gun on one of the back up singers during a sound check at their last show and he could only assume it had picked up on the building suspicions around him. He’d lost count on how many times he’d had to shut it down and tink around with its CPU. Sighing, he fixed himself a drink and dropped back into his chair. He’d get through this. He had to get through this. And once they were done with this tour bullshit, he’d disappear and take the longest fucking holiday he could. Touring was stressful under the best of conditions so was it any wonder this whole cock up of a tour was greying him more than usual?


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

2D awoke with a start, the nightmare fading back as the interior of the hotel suite slowly came into focus. Tears were in his eyes and he could feel them on his cheeks. It was still dark out but he’d fallen asleep with the little bedside lamp on and it cast the room in a strange dull glow with the furniture around him taking on little more than vague shapes. Near the front door of his suite, one of the vague shapes moved and he nearly yelped. As his eyes continue to adjust, he realized the Cyborg was standing over near the door. Wiping at his tears, he slowly got up and out of the bed. He didn’t know what the time was nor did he care. He just wished for something to end this fucking mess. He wanted to go back home to his parents. He missed his Mum and he missed his Dad. They were probably worried about him. They hadn’t heard from him since Murdoc had kidnapped him out of Beirut. He wasn’t sure what emotions he felt in those moments. He wanted so badly to hate Murdoc but he recognized that there was something wrong with him. Was it the drugs or the alcohol? Was it the people he’d fucked over through the years? Was it brain damage from some of the shit he’d gone through as a kid? Whatever it was, the man had gone mad. Dragging him to that rubbish heap island, holding him prisoner until he caved and sang for that blasted album.

He remembered being scared of him before but it didn’t hold a candle to the terror he felt over the last few years. Listening to him spew his ridiculous Pirate Radio through the beginning of the year as he amped up fans for the release of the album. Watching him tinker with that blasted monstrosity he’d created. He’d somehow managed to create a fucking robot who looked identical to their missing Noodle and the fucking thing terrified him even more than Murdoc did. Why create it in her image? How dare he created it in her image! 2D had wanted so badly to loathe him for this but that loathing fell short one night, weeks before they’d left the island for the tour, when he’d watched Murdoc get tanked on whatever booze and substances he had on hand and had started talking to the blasted thing as if it were Noodle. His demeanor had been so different. His tone losing that almost mocking edge he seemed to use far too often. 2D hadn’t lingered too long to listen to everything because he knew Murdoc would flip out if he realized he was being watched, but he had caught just enough to know that Murdoc missed Noodle, had never wanted to see her hurt and wanted her forgiveness.

The thing looked like Noodle, could play guitar like Noodle but it wasn’t Noodle. It didn’t speak, the expression on its face always void of emotion. Its synthetic skin was icy cold to the touch and the glass green eyes looked dead. It had also been created with a duel purpose. It could play guitar but it was also programmed with weapons knowledge and also hand to hand combat. Built also to serve as Murdoc’s bodyguard, it’s strength stunning given its dainty size. The bassist had no idea how many people were out for his head so he had to make sure his protection was solid. The creepy fucking thing could literally sense a threat before it got within several yards of Murdoc. 2D could remember thinking all it would take was one sniper’s bullet and it would all be over. But even as his hatred simmered, there was a part of him that remembered how broken Murdoc had become and no doubt the isolation, running and paranoia hadn’t helped. There’d been someone close to him that had finally exited his life, and then Noodle had vanished shortly after. While Noodle’s disappearance had root in Murdoc’s bullshit, it still hadn’t changed the fact that Murdoc was, in his own way, grieving his losses and resorting to past behaviors as a coping method. But it had only made his mental state worse.

He opened the window and lit a cigarette, looking down at the city fifteen floors down, trying not to think about the nightmare that had awoken him or everything happening around him. It had been a nightmare that haunted his sleep often enough to make him wonder if it would come to pass. Nightmares of the Cyborg malfunctioning during the show and opening fire on their fans. Opening fire on the guest musicians and singers. Opening fire on Murdoc. Turning to him and hearing the report of the gunfire just as he snapped awake. Holy shit, with as often as the damned thing malfunctioned, it probably would do just that. Smoking his cigarette, he shook his head. He couldn’t think about those kind of things. If he wanted to get through this and hope that Murdoc would finally cut him loose, he needed to just get through it, right? Trying to run had been futile because the bassist and that abomination always managed to find him. And there was no denying this tour was stressing Murdoc out more than he was letting on. Granted, it could just lead to the man snapping completely and holding him hostage for the rest of their lives, however long that would be between the pirates hunting for Murdoc’s head and a wonky Cyborg.

Glancing to his right, he saw that the lights were on in Murdoc’s room. The window was cracked in spite of the chilly weather. He was talking to someone, his tone jovial and friendly. 2D couldn’t even remember the last time the man sounded like that. Peering back into his room and seeing that it was barely midnight, 2D leaned further out, curious. He could only hear Murdoc’s voice and this led 2D to realize he was on the phone. There was too much outdoor noise to hear him properly, only catching snippets of words. He drew back from the window and went to the far wall he shared with Murdoc’s suite. Probably shouldn’t be eavesdropping but he was bored, didn’t want to go back to sleep for fear of another nightmare and he really really wanted to know who the hell Murdoc was talking to. Maybe it was one of those dirty phone chat things? Those expensive numbers that flashed across the screen late at night, advertising hot women who wanted to talk to you.

Ear pressed to the wall, he realized he could hear a little better, but still muffled enough to not always catch everything. Pressing his ear harder, 2D strained to listen to the one sided conversation. “Yeah, it was a busy day, but could be worse, yeah? How ‘bout yours? Your mates didn’t give you too much grief, did they?” 2D frowned, straining to listen as his voice got lower and lower, most likely moving further from the wall. Only brief snippets of one sided conversation. Unable to decipher where the conversation was going let alone who he was talking to, 2D backed away and lit another cigarette. Some noises could be heard from the neighboring room eventually followed by the sound of the suite door opening and shutting hard. Was the tosser heading out to find a new watering hole? On the hunt? Could be anything knowing him. Hell, for all 2D knew, the man was out looking for something a bit more illicit than booze and arse.

Scowling, 2D muttered a few curses under his breath. He was as frustrated as the bassist and overhearing him with the woman had been fucking torture. His own pent up agitation had finally gotten the better of him. Hearing the woman’s moans and cries through the wall had gotten the hydraulics working in record time and he’d found himself struggling to focus on the woman’s voice alone as he pulled himself off. Though it had made him feel marginally better, he still felt gross afterward. Usually overhearing Murdoc’s conquests left him feeling dirty. The man was a fucking degenerate beast when it came to sex but after two years of unwilling celibacy and actually hearing a woman not only enjoy what was happening to her but begging and even demanding more, his own pent up frustrations had finally reached their peak. But it still left him dealing with the same frustrations that he knew Murdoc had been feeling before finally meeting that woman the other night.

If anything, 2D felt worse because he didn’t have the access that Murdoc had. What if he had wanted to take a girl back to his room too? He knew Murdoc didn’t want to risk him saying something and possibly getting the authorities involved, but the singer had reached the point of not caring about any of that because he just wanted a willing woman in his bed. He’d actually been getting somewhere with a pretty little blond thing at that little pub but before he could get much further, Murdoc was dragging him out of there with the woman on his arm. The singer normally wasn’t a jealous one, but he knew he’d been feeling that green eyed monster as he watched Murdoc with the woman at the pub and in the lift of the hotel. He hated the idea of being jealous of Murdoc. There was nothing about that man to be jealous of but his fucking hand bored him. He wanted the real thing. All the more reason to hope that this would soon be over and he could finally walk away from it all. Go back to Crawley, reach out to his parents and then hit the town and fuck his way through the city as he made up for lost time. He turned to look over at the Cyborg who was still guarding the entrance. “So...err....you wanna go an’ find a pub?”

Turning its head towards the sound of his voice, its mouth opened and a scratchy recording of Murdoc’s voice came through the open mouth. _Keep an eye on the dullard. Dun’ let him outa your sight an’ dun’ let him leave the room_. It closed its mouth and the head returned to its original place, staring ahead with one hand hovering over a gun holstered to its hip. Of course. That bastard _would_ keep him confined to his room while he went out and played rock star around town. Sighing, he dropped back into his bed, staring up at the vaulted ceiling of the suite. Maybe he could chance talking with Murdoc and try to convince him to allow him the chance to seek out his own piece of arse. Wanking was alright, but he wanted to feel the real fucking thing and not rely on his imagination. He wanted to hear a woman moan because of him, not the bassist. He just wanted to get fucking laid. That wasn’t too much of an ask, was it?

***********************************************

The diner was a dingy little dive place that Hailey had been going to for coffee and pie for probably close to a decade now. She enjoyed it because it was a twenty-four hour joint and provided the solitude she often desired when she simply wanted to go out and not be bothered. Alicia didn’t know about it and even if she did, would probably decide against ever going because it was located in an area that was practically deserted during the twilight hours. Full of warehouses and construction sites only, the entire area went quiet once everyone working had left for the day. Hailey certainly wasn’t stupid enough to wander the city blocks, not even in her car, but hitting up the diner had never been an issue. The staff was always friendly, they all knew each other on a first name basis and the few other regulars that hit up the diner during the night hours always left each other alone. They all were seeking the same thing – quiet and solitude. Hailey guarded her knowledge of the diner carefully, not even letting its existence slip with co-workers. She simply wanted her own little hide away from the world, a place where she could go and be alone when she absolutely needed solitude from everyone and everything. Maybe it made her selfish about it, especially not wanting to share it with her own best friend and room-mate, but she viewed keeping it her little secret as healthy because everyone needed their own private space for something.

The waitress smiled at her when she stepped into the place and made her way towards her usual table. Before she could even get herself settled, the waitress was right there asking if she wanted her usual. “Err, give me a moment,” she said with an apologetic smile. The waitress’s brow twitched in some confusion, but she slipped away to help another patron and left Hailey to browse the menu a bit. She usually just got herself coffee with a slice of rhubarb pie, but was feeling spontaneous and wanted something different this time around. She scanned over the various options the diner had available, chewing at her lower lip. The little dive had limited fare and she realized in the nine and a half years she’d been coming here that she’d never ordered anything but coffee and pie. She had no idea if anything else on the menu was any good. Stick with coffee and pie then? Maybe try that blackberry cobbler they were advertising on the white board by the cash register.

When the front entrance doors chimed, her eyes surfaced over the menu. She almost had to laugh when she saw Murdoc standing in the doorway, looking around. He was dressed casually with a brown leather jacket to keep away the cold, but it was the ghastly emerald green baseball cap on his head with the big bold white letters that said _Space Needle_ that caught her attention. She had told him the place would be fine and he wouldn’t be bothered. She thought he was trying _not _to bring attention to himself? She lowered the menu down, waving him towards where she was sitting. Cracking a smile, he walked quickly towards her little booth and slid into the seat directly across from her. “I cannot believe how bloody cold it is outside,” he huffed, warming his hands. “This place is quite off the beaten path...how’d you come ‘cross it? Looks dodgy t’ me.”

“Found it years ago.” She opened up the menu again, only occasionally looking over at him as he opened up his own menu. “Was looking for a place to clear my head one night. Decided to go for a drive through the city and ended up stumbling across this diner.”

He pulled the cap from his head and took a pair of glasses out from the inside of his jacket pocket. Glasses perched on his nose, he browsed the menu casually. The waitress was suddenly back at her table, now looking at the stranger with curiosity and glancing over at Hailey with a confused expression on her face. Hailey had never had anyone join her when she came to the diner so having this newcomer probably had them all chattering in the back. Murdoc’s eyes surfaced from the menu, looking up at the waitress. “Cuppa coffee? An’ can you bring more cream an’ sugar?”

The waitress smiled, still looking at Hailey with mild confusion. “You guys looking to get any food?”

Hailey closed the menu and gestured towards the white board. “I’ll try that blackberry cobbler.”

Murdoc chuckled, closing his menu. “Make that two.” Once the waitress departed, he shed his jacket, revealing a worn out and aged black v-neck sweater. The sweater had to be at least a good twenty years old. The man was probably worth millions and here he was bumming around in some old ass threads? She was a fine one to talk seeing she had a closet full of aged t-shirts she refused to part with. Clearly he favored the sweater and either was comfortable enough to wear it in front of her or just no longer cared what people thought. He was taking in the aging wood paneled walls and other outdated décor. The diner hadn’t been updated since the early nineteen-eighties and it definitely showed in the dilapidated tables, worn and faded counters and even the ancient cash register.

She had to ask herself just what the hell was happening. Christ, was this really happening? He’d called her maybe a hour ago, asking about her day and filling her in on how his day had gone. When he mentioned wanting to meet up someplace low key to chat a bit face to face, she’d suggested the diner. She couldn’t guarantee people wouldn’t recognize him and approach him, but it was the only place she knew of that didn’t have that many patrons in the evening hours and gave him a better chance of slipping in under everyone’s radar.

Talk about a strange sequence of events over the last twenty-four hours. When she’d left his hotel suite, she didn’t expect to see or hear from him again. They’d definitely made their hours together worthwhile, but still didn’t change the fact that they’d both understood it would be a one night thing. Asking for her number hadn’t really changed this thought. Of course, it changed a bit when he’d called her and asked about attending a party with him. Okay, so he’d been serious about wanting to keep her around while he was in town, but still didn’t change the fact that this would be a short term thing. Granted, she didn’t anticipate sitting here in a dive diner with him at one-thirty in the morning when just a little over twenty-four hours ago, he’d had her pinned face down against the desk in his hotel suite while he rammed into her, growling that he was going to finish in her ass. Fuck, just thinking about it all again brought brief tingling sensations and warmth to her cheeks. Blinking, she shook away the imagery and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. “We can smoke in here, by the way.”

He pulled out his own battered pack of smokes, lighting one just as the waitress came back with his coffee, a sugar dispenser and a small pitcher of cream. His dark eyes followed the waitress warily as she backed away from their table and finally went to the far side of the diner to help the only other patrons in there besides them. Taking his glasses off and setting them aside, he flashed a warm smile. “Been a while since I’ve been back in this city. Quite a bit has changed.”

“It’s always changing,” she said dismissively. “Last month, there was a building just across from where I work and now it’s just an empty lot. The group home I was in for six months back in the late eighties is now a homeless shelter. They’ll probably turn it into a Whole Foods market within the next decade. Nothing ever stays the same around here.”

“Group home?” He didn’t bother to hide the confusion in his voice. His words were momentarily lost to her as she examined his face. The harsh lighting of the diner seemed to accentuate all his flaws. Small scars across his clean shaven face, even some scarring across the mangled bridge of his nose and a rather lengthy scar on his neck just above his adam’s apple. She kept coming back to his eyes. Dark brown with flecks of hazel, surrounded by thick lashes. Large and expressive eyes. Lines by his eyes, his mouth, lines that accentuated themselves with nearly every expression he made. Honestly, if he hadn’t told her how old he was, she would have thought him a good five or ten years older, especially with the shocks of silver in his sideburns. She was brought back to the question when he spoke again. “Not sure I know what a group home is, love.”

“Where they put foster kids when nobody wants to deal with you.” She let out a sigh as she stubbed out her half smoked cigarette. “I was in foster care pretty much my whole childhood. When I got to be too much to handle, they threw me in a group home with a dozen other delinquent kids.”

He took all this in quietly, cigarette burning between his fingers. She couldn’t shake those eyes boring into her, the silence stretching between them. He suddenly blinked, the ghost of a smile on his face. “Bet you learned some great life hacks livin’ with a bunch of delinquents, yeah?”

“I can pick a lock.” A nervous laugh escaped her as she took a sip from her coffee. “Learned how to fashion a soda can into a pipe to smoke pot. Could also rob a store blind and not be seen. Not bad for a nine year old, eh?”

“Christ, you were only nine?” The smile was still there, but there was something almost sympathetic in his expression. “Those homes really did a number on you, didn’t they?”

“I suppose.” She shrugged her shoulders, resting her hands on the table between them. “Had to survive. I did a lot of shit I didn’t want to just to survive. When I started running away, had to shoplift just to eat. When I was on the streets hiding from a home or the police, picking locks got me a roof over my head for the night...” She let her voice trail, not wanting to get much more into things. She could only imagine the look on his face upon telling him the other things she’d done just to survive and avoid being beat. Taking a breath, she cracked a smile, hoping he wouldn’t catch her discomfort. “You mentioned that your father wasn’t exactly dad of the year so I imagine you at least have some understanding of where I’m coming from.”

His own smile faltered a bit, the warmth in his eyes vanishing. “I do, as a matter of fact. I won’t bore you with the details, love. Just know that he was a twat who beat on me an’ m’ older brother for so much as lookin’ at him cross-eyed. He was on the dole an’ saw us as little more than paychecks.”

Though his tone was casual, his facial expressions and body language gave his own discomfort away. For a brief moment, she felt bad even bringing it up. They were simple and honest get-to-known-you questions, but it was obvious his own childhood experiences were something he made a point to not think too much about. Reaching her hand out, she covered his hand, returning her own sympathetic smile. “Sorry if I brought up something painful. Didn’t mean to pry.”

He cracked another strained smile, his eyes dropping down to her hand. “No worries...just dun’ talk ‘bout it much. Nobody has ever really asked b’fore. They usually only ask ‘bout the music an’ how Gorillaz started. I think that’s the first time in a long time an’one’s asked ‘bout me personally an’ not just the music an’ band.” The waitress appeared at the side of their table with the cobblers and the pot of coffee, refilling their half empty mugs before disappearing once again. She’d also left a can of whipped cream between them. Hailey grabbed the can and shot a generous pile on top of her cobbler. He watched as the cobbler disappeared beneath the mountain of whipped cream, almost laughing as she set the can aside and dived into the food. He put maybe a fraction of cream onto the cobbler, comparing the two carefully before shrugging and burying the cobbler entirely. He took an enormous bite, speaking through the food and seemingly oblivious to the whipped cream that circled his mouth. “So how did a tossed ‘round foster kid manage t’ get where she is now?”

“Therapy, some hard work and a few college scholarships certainly helped,” she said, giggling at him and passing him a napkin while pointing to her mouth. “Work in an ad agency. Human resources. Rent an overpriced apartment with a friend. Enjoy the spoils of my hard work and don’t give a shit what anyone thinks.”

“See, I get that,” he laughed, wiping the food from his mouth. “I knew I wanted more than what Stoke offered. Busted me arse t’ get outa there. I was not gonna be ‘nother speed freak clayhead wallowin’ in the fuckin’ gutter like me Dad an’ brother an’ countless useless mates I had back there.” Though she had no idea what he meant by the term _clayhead_, she said nothing. It was clearly a slang term used in his neck of the woods. She also had no idea what or where_ Stoke _was, but a little bit of research would solve that once she returned home. There were some brief internal alarms over him mention of speed freak and she tucked this information away to sort out later. Nothing in his demeanor indicated he was on anything. If he’d had a rough start to life, drugs were an easy road to go down as a coping mechanism. She could even admit to sampling some illicit substances in her own youth, but had found the sensations troubling. Smoking pot once in a while was one thing, losing everything because you needed that next line of coke or crack was another. She’d tried them both at different times in her younger years, but had watched too many people fall to ruin in their wake. He peered up at her as he cleaned his plate, catching the strange expression on her face. “Dun’ worry, not somethin’ I do an’more if that’s what you’re worried ‘bout. Band forced me in t’ detox some years back.”

“Not my business even if you still do it,” she said matter of factly. “Rock and roll life, right?”

“Reckon so, but rather glad they intervened.” He rolled up one of his sweater sleeves, revealing his arm. “Turned in t’ a dangerous game, not gonna lie. Was shootin’ it up. Lost my kit all the bloody time due t’ bein’ stopped by police an’ spent a few weekend stints in jail for possession.” Though they were faded, she could see small scars littering his lower arm up to the crook of his elbow. Sighing, he pulled his sleeve back down. “Still crave it some days, but easier t’ get through it now versus then.”

“We all have our vices.” She held up her unlit cigarette and gestured at the one he had burning in his hand. “I get it. I dabbled a bit when I was younger but the only thing I really ended up liking was smoking the occasional joint. I can see why the harder stuff appeals to people though. Felt like I was flying. Like I was invincible...”

“Ever’thin’ else in slow motion,” he added, cracking another smile. “All our troubles dun’ seem so bad...” His expression went somber. Though he remained silent, it was clear there was some sort of internal battle going on in his head. It probably was hell for him when the cravings hit, no matter how nonchalant he tried to be about it. She’d heard enough from other recovering addicts to know that it took a lot of willpower to resist the cravings no matter how mild they might feel. Associating any fond memories with it probably did agitate things. Looking up at her suddenly, he cracked a sloppy smile and reached across the table, using his finger to swipe at the pile of whipped cream still on her half eaten cobbler, shoving the finger into his mouth. “An’who, ‘nough ‘bout all that. You mentioned rentin’ out a pricey flat....penthouse or somethin’?”

Erupting into a snorting laugh, she shook her head. “Hardly! It’s a standard two bedroom and one bathroom. Maybe a thousand square feet tops. The rent is like twenty-five-hundred a month. And this place is considered low end for downtown Seattle.” Still laughing, she returned her attention to the cobbler, taking another bite. “You need a room-mate or more than one income just to afford these places.”

“What’s your flat-mate like?” A sly grin spread across his face as he leaned into the table. “She a freaky lil’ minx like you?” He swiped some more whipped cream, chuckling to himself as he extended his tongue and licked the cream from his fingers. “Bet you lot run some sort of dom house, yeah?”

Cocking an eyebrow, she let out a snort. “Oh you wish. You got to meet her, albeit briefly. Tall, white blond hair, looked at you like you were a cockroach.” Still laughing, she pulled her plate away from his thieving finger as he tried to make another go towards her cobbler. “So no, we don’t run any kind of dom house or whatever you’d call those things. She’d have a stroke if I ever suggested such a thing.”

“Your flat-mate was that bird who kept interruptin’ us?” He was staring at her now with disbelief, his eyes wide. She reasoned the disbelief was warranted because her and Alicia were as different as night and day. It was actually pretty comical, really. But they managed to get along well enough even if they butted heads about their vastly different lifestyles. “Christ, talk ‘bout opposites attract, eh?” he guffawed loudly, the group at the other end of the diner now looking over at them with some annoyance. “She must love havin’ you as a flat-mate!”

Hailey erupted into her own barking laugh. “She learned a long time ago to turn a blind eye to my comings and goings. We’ve been friends since we were kids so nothing surprises her about me anymore.”

“Right...I have t’ ask – but how in the hell did you end up mates with that bird? She looked so uptight, a strong breeze could bowl her over.” When she didn’t respond right away, he frowned at her. “Dun’ mean any offense, love, but you gotta admit it’s a legit question, yeah?”

She pondered over this a bit, wondering how to respond. It was definitely a very forward question seeing they’d only just met the night before. He did seem genuinely curious, though, which did surprise her. She hadn’t exactly been sure what to expect when he had suggested meeting up to chat but she certainly never suspected it would literally be having a laugh over coffee and cobbler. If anything, she figured maybe some questions here or there, some brief chit chat and then off to test the shocks in the back of her car. He continued to stare at her with raised eyebrows, waiting for her to finally respond. She gave a half-hearted shrug finally, lighting a new cigarette. “My last foster home before I aged out. Just happened to be two houses down from where she lived. Not many kids wanted to be my friend growing up, Murdoc, so having this tall and lanky kid asking if I wanted to hang out was kinda nice.” Taking a final bite of her cobbler, she shoved the remaining pastry towards him, smiling when he happily accepted it. “What about you? You mention old friends from some place you called Stoke, but nothing else. So....got any friends who stuck it out or any new friends made since becoming famous?”

Pausing mid-chew, he sort of shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. “Not really. Dun’ need ‘em, t’ be honest. I’ve had ‘nough arseholes try t’ weasel in t’ me life just t’ say they knew me or wanted brownie points or whatever. I’m not very nice an’ I apparently dun’ have my life sorted out well ‘nough for my age. People tend t’ run quick when they find out you’re still a work in progress an’ have some baggage.”

“Christ, don’t I know that,” she muttered bitterly, draining her coffee. “Ali’s stuck it out, but there are times when you can tell it wears on her. She pushes all the time for me to do stuff that she and her other friends like doing. Seems to think it will make me more likable so her friends will accept me. Problem is half the shit they like doing either bores me to fucking tears or I just have zero interest in doing.”

He frowned, cocking an eyebrow. “Bein’ accepted is fuckin’ over-rated rubbish. I could rattle off ‘til the cows come home ‘bout that_ bein’ accepted _bullshit. Assistants an’ record label suits pushin’ you t’ have a certain look or personality just so you appeal t’ the masses. It’s all fuckin’ balls, Hailey. The whole fuckin’ lot. It’s fake as fuck.” His frown melted to a strange half-smile. “I like that you’re up front ‘bout the thins’ you like, girl. I like that you dun’ give a toss if it’s acceptable or not. It’s refreshin’, actually.”

“That may be so, but even you can admit that sometimes certain facades have their place. Your line of work does require it to some extent. I know my work definitely does. I can’t run around my office talking about getting smacked around while being fucked in every hole I have.” A snorting laugh escaped from him as he tried to finish his coffee, choking back as he set the mug down. Laughing herself, she reached into her purse and checked her phone. It was pushing three in the morning. Had they really just been here the last hour and a half? It didn’t seem like much time had passed at all. She’d actually had a good time and was glad she’d suggested the little diner outing. His entire demeanor seemed different versus when she’d first met him the night before, as if he knew he could relax. Sadly, he looked completely exhausted and she wondered how much work was put into the celebrity persona he flaunted for the public. He probably had a horribly demanding schedule that gave him little time for himself. “It’s late,” she said finally. “As much as I’m enjoying watching you choke on your java, you probably have to be up for practice or sound check or whatever they call it. And that party later on, right?”

Wiping the coffee from his chin and sweater, he continued to laugh to himself. Both of them looked up when the waitress passed by and dropped the check off at the end of the table. “Dun’ have much planned tomorrow b’sides the party, actually.” And while he hid it well, she could almost see the relief on his face as he said this, almost as if it was finally dawning on him. “Like a real day off. Fuckin’ far out.” Snatching the check out of her reach, he dug into his back pocket for his wallet as he looked over the slip of paper. A devious smile spread across his face, his eyes surfacing from the check. “Reckon there isn’t much else t’ do t’night, yeah? Feel like goin’ back t’ the hotel an’ continuin’ this enlightenin’ conversation?”

*********************************************

Laying on the bed with a cigarette in one hand and a silky little pair of knickers in the other, Murdoc chuckled to himself as he examined the black panties. Talk about an interesting night, eh? For the first time in years, he’d actually gone and met up with a bird to chat over coffee. When was the last time he’d done something like that? Five years? Ten? And of all the places to meet up at, she chose some dodgy little diner in a shitty part of the city. Her little secret, she’d told him. Not even her flat-mate knew about this diner. What amused him even more was that he’d actually enjoyed himself. In spite of his reservations about the place, the cobbler had been good and the coffee decent enough. Not to mention, it had been nice being able to go somewhere and forget about this tour bullshit, even if for only a few hours. He’d actually enjoyed talking with her. Oh, getting to that body was certainly great too, but she had provided stimulating conversation and a dark sense of humor he appreciated a great deal.

When they’d gotten back to his hotel suite, they spent another hour or so just talking about whatever bullshit that crossed their minds. He’d told her a bit more about growing up in Stoke and she’d mentioned a few more details of her life in state care. They’d kept circling back to their earlier discussion on whether or not keeping up a facade was necessary. Given her line of work, maybe for her it was. He’d argued that he had no need to put up any kind of facade, even if all those people involved with the record label tried to insist on it. But as they ventured further into this discussion, he’d realized that maybe he did to an extent. Public appearances required him putting on a fake smile and playing nicey nice to rich snobs who wouldn’t have given him a second glance if he wasn’t famous. It required him not being short and curt with fans when he wasn’t feeling very social. It required him to put on a neutral face and go out to different meetings with record executives even when he just wanted to beat and tear at something because a sight, sound or smell brought him back to some long ago moment under the iron fist rule of his father.

They did eventually get down to business, though both were exhibiting some definite strain from their previous bout. It had turned into a somewhat clumsy session with both of them either groaning from pain or outright laughing because neither were particularly eager to strain or stretch their bodies. Afterward, once they’d finished, she’d dressed herself but tossed her knickers at him with a laugh. “You earned a trophy,” she’d cackled before exiting the room. He’d remained on the bed maybe a good hour after she’d left, not bothering to dress himself, the condom still hanging off his cock and those fucking knickers laying on his chest, only finally moving when he needed to take a piss.

He’d put on a pair of briefs and dropped back onto the bed with a cigarette, spying the panties tangled in the sheets. A trophy, eh? He smoked his cigarette and examined them, the horny degenerate in the back of his head pointing out that she’d worn them and they still had her scent. Might end up becoming primo wanking material after he left this city. He wasn’t too ashamed to admit that. Had to get your jollies where you could. He wasn’t sure when he’d get laid again after the tour took him out of here. He’d already suffered through two years of unwilling celibacy due to the isolation of Plastic Beach, his own paranoia over the pirates he’d double crossed and the overall stress of this tour. He was fucking thrilled he was getting laid steadily again, even if only for a few days. Shame they’d only be able to hook up for another three days, four at the most. Might not even be able to connect with her at all the night of the show because of all the chaos and bullshit that goes with setting it up and taking it down. He’d be performing on the stage for a good three hours or more and then onto whatever fan club backstage bullshit the PR people had arranged. Scheduled to leave late the next day to be ready for their next venue. He’d have to make the best of his free time. Maybe mark her up good and leave a little trophy of his own in the way of a good bite on her shoulder or neck, somewhere visible so everyone knew the territory was marked. He let out a chuckle, picturing some dumb sod in an imagined future stripping away her clothing and seeing his handiwork all over her and her telling this sod that she’d had Murdoc fucking Niccals and no other dick would compare to his. The more he pictured this, the harder he laughed and soon he was laughing like a fucking idiot. Why could he picture this so clearly? What other man could compare though? Maybe it was his own fucking ego, but he knew he was good because he had that woman practically screaming as she came all over the place. To whomever is unlucky enough to fuck her down the road, I’m sorry I ruined her for you. You will never meet those expectations ever. Still laughing, he shut the lights down, tossed the knickers into his suitcase and collapsed limply onto his bed. Christ, he was fucking exhausted. Well, who’d blame him? He’d had more activity in the last thirty hours than he’d had in years.


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Jason could be heard in the shower as he got ready for their party. Alicia sat in the living room, the television flickering at her. She wasn’t paying attention to the images on the screen. She was irritated and angry. She’d overheard Hailey slip out last night. She’d pondered over whether or not she could follow, but by the time she was sitting in her car, Hailey was long gone. GPS had been a godsend in those moments and she soon found herself in a dark and sinister looking part of the city that was full of factories, warehouses and a few different construction sites. At the center of it all stood this dilapidated little diner and parked out front was Hailey’s little silver Focus. Alicia had parked the car in a darkened corner, looking into the diner and spying Hailey with that little roach she’d hooked up with the night before, the two of them laughing and talking. Alicia had eventually returned back to the apartment and had gone to bed, only to wake around six to the sound of Hailey coming through the front door. She’d been gone for hours.

Hailey had said nothing to Alicia about where she’d gone, even implying that she’d remained in her room the entire night reading. Alicia spent the whole day leading up to that afternoon trying to keep her agitation under control. It also didn’t help that she was still internally fuming over the fact that Hailey was willing to go to some snobby-ass party with the musician but had refused to attend her party with her fucking friends. Hailey wasn’t the most social of people and Alicia had tried on numerous occasions to get her out and about to meet new people but the woman always refused. Yet, upon meeting that skeezy bassist, was out every night and now willing to rub elbows with some rich snobs at an art gallery? Sighing, Alicia dragged her hands across her face and grabbed her cigarettes from the table as she went out to the balcony. Or maybe they were Hailey’s? She didn’t know and didn’t care. She dropped down into the cushioned patio chair, staring out at the bay.

Reason said she was being stupid about this. Hailey was a grown woman – thirty-three years old – and was free to live her life as she saw fit, even if Alicia disagreed with it. Even those filthy kinks she had. Kinks that the musician appeared to also have, if the marks on Hailey’s body were any indication. It had taken everything not to stare at those marks when Hailey had come out for coffee earlier in the day, wearing only a loose camisole top and pajama bottoms. It was almost like every inch from the neck down had some kind of scratch, bruise and one mark that looked like a bite. The thing that bothered Alicia the most was how friendly they were getting. She wasn’t sure why this bothered her so much. She’d been harping on Hailey to get out and meet people for years. But she’d thinking about people like her own circle of friends. _Normal_ people. Not people with unstable habits and lifestyles. And certainly not that fucking musician. Watching Hailey and Murdoc laughing and talking in the diner as if they were the best of friends triggered something inside Alicia and it had only angered her more.

Jason told her she was being ridiculous and needed to keep her nose out of Hailey’s life. Not like the musician would be a permanent fixture in their lives. He was only in town for a few more days. Jason had even implied that Alicia might even be a bit jealous. She’d been Hailey’s only friend for years and years. They’d done damned near everything together and had lived as room-mates for nearly eight years. Alicia refused to believe this because if she were in fact possessive and jealous, wouldn’t she actually discourage Hailey from meeting new people? She didn’t see this man as a threat to their friendship, she saw the man as a threat to her best friend.

Hailey emerged from the apartment with a can of Mt Dew in her hand and an unlit cigarette. Still dressed in the camisole and lounge pants with her dark hair pulled up into a sloppy pony-tail. The marks seemed to almost glow on her skin, massive red and purple blemishes that littered her neck, shoulders, arms and even dropping down into the front of the camisole. Seemingly oblivious to her stare, Hailey cracked a smile and dropped into her own chair and lit her cigarette. “What time are you and Jay leaving?”

Alicia shrugged, her voice coming out in a hoarse whisper. “Dunno. Hour and a half, two hours maybe. Party starts at eight.” Chancing a glance over at Hailey, she froze when she realized the woman was staring directly at her as she opened her can of soda. Her words failed her a moment, her eyes locked with Hailey’s. It was only when Hailey dropped her gaze to her cigarette and lighter, breaking the cold eye contact, that Alicia could finally find her voice. “I can’t convince you to tag along? We can always find you something for a costume. Just tell dude you can’t make it.”

Hailey shook her head, furrowing her brow. “No, sorry. Besides, I told you why I’m not going, Ali. Three of Kyle’s guests are friends of Chloe’s and I am not going to put myself in that situation. They’re just as rude to me as Chloe is.”

“We can tell them to leave you alone,” Alicia insisted, her expression pleading. “You can’t avoid conflict forever.”

Hailey smirked, uttering a strange laugh as she took a drink. “_Oh yes I can_. One of the perks of being an adult, dude. I don’t have to tolerate bullshit just to make nicey nice.” She sighed, her eyes surfacing from her burning cigarette to Alicia’s face, her tired eyes practically boring into her. “You’re free to believe that being an adult means putting up with assholes to keep the peace, but that’s not me.”

“It’s part of life,” Alicia whispered, scanning over Hailey’s tired face. The other woman’s face was mostly unreadable. She also looked exhausted but Alicia reasoned getting back at six and then being up and about by eleven would do that to a person. Another uncomfortable silence stretched between them. “I just don’t understand,” she blurted out suddenly, unable to take the silence. “But why would you prefer to go and hang out with a stuck up sleaze musician and his rich stuck up friends instead of coming to a fun party with your real friends.”

Hailey continued to stare at her, her expression reflecting no decipherable emotion. Alicia hated that stare. She hated how it felt like Hailey was picking her apart from the inside out. She exhaled the breath she didn’t even realize she was holding when Hailey finally turned her attention to the view from the balcony, speaking softly. “None of those other guests are my _real friends_, Ali. They’re _your _friends. They’re _Kyle’s_ friends. They’re _Jason’s_ friends. _Not mine_.” Sighing, she sank back into the cushions. “I’m going to have to get ready soon. He said he’d be here within the hour.”

Alicia chewed her lower lip, staring beyond the balcony at the bay. She knew if she pushed it, Hailey would just get irritated. Why did it bother her so fucking much? Jason was right – the man was only in town a handful of days and soon would be gone. And he lived in a completely different country. He’d be gone and their contact would be severed. He was only using her as a warm body for his bed and nothing more. It was entirely possible Hailey wasn’t the only one he had in the city. Still unable to shake the weird feeling that continued to make itself known deep in her gut, Alicia had spent most of one night digging around and seeing what kind of information she could find on the man. Initially, she’d almost given up since most of the information she’d found had been common knowledge: womanizer, self-taught musician, Satanist. A few articles danced around his liking for rough bedroom play. Further digging provided more information that was mostly buried in the dark archives of the internet and Alicia wondered if the record label was behind burying the info because she’d had to dig around for hours to find it. He’d been arrested for possession in California six years ago on the way to a video shoot. There’d also been numerous arrests for assault, disorderly conduct and public intoxication. Rumors of drug and weapons deals. He was the bad boy of the group and apparently lived up to that label and then some.

“I have to ask,” Alicia said finally. “I just really need to know. What it is about him that draws you in? He’s nothing at all like any of the dudes you’ve dragged home.” She could feel Hailey’s gaze on her again and she soon found herself struggling to choose her words as carefully as possible. “He’s considerably older. He’s short. He’s not very attractive. And he just kinda comes across as gross.”

Hailey said nothing at first and Alicia found herself mentally scrambling to back pedal if needed. After a lengthy silence, Hailey finally spoke. “He had a bit of a rough start to life too. His father wasn’t very kind.” She frowned, looking down at her burning cigarette. “Weird as it sounds, we kinda get each other.”

Alicia let out a weird laugh, shaking her head. “You’ve known him maybe two days, dude. You don’t just _get _someone that quick.” She shook her head again and wondered if she’d truly heard Hailey right. There was no way those words had come from Hailey’s mouth. She didn’t let anyone get close. The idea that she let anyone – let alone a complete fucking stranger – get close enough to know her and relate to her in some way was laughable. It had taken Alicia years to truly get to know Hailey. Fucking years.

“I just mean that there’s an understanding,” Hailey said, not bothering to hide her annoyance at the continued questions. “Look, I have never given you any grief over the men you’ve been involved with prior to Jason, no matter how shitty they were –.”

“Oh, please,” Alicia interrupted, laughing bitterly. “You got yourself arrested for busting a beer bottle over one of their heads.”

“That’s beside the point. I still didn’t give you any grief. I just handled it and left it at that.” She sighed and stubbed out her cigarette, rising from her chair. “What I’m trying to say is that you need to give me the same respect. Don’t continue to give me shit about it. Enough with the questions. Let me have my fun and leave it alone. I know he’s not my usual type. I know he’s done some crazy shit. I also know that he’s been through some shit. Not many people understand the kind of shit we came from, Ali. You wouldn’t understand it unless you lived it, and we’ve both lived it.”

Alicia watched as Hailey slipped back into the apartment without another word, closing the slider behind her. It still didn’t make sense to Alicia. You didn’t have to live through it to understand it. Didn’t she understand? What about mental health professionals? Many of them didn’t live through the kind of hells Hailey and the musician had come from yet were often able to help those who came from such backgrounds. Lots of people were capable of understanding horrible childhoods without having to live it. If Alicia supposedly didn’t understand, then why would Hailey even talk to her about it? She knew about the abuses Hailey had suffered through numerous homes. She knew that Hailey was the way she was because of what happened to her as a kid. It was why she kept people at arm’s length. It was why she was so selective of who she allowed to get close.

Frowning, Alicia lit another cigarette. Her own upbringing had been a far cry from the world Hailey had come from. It had been part of the reason her own parents had been hesitant allowing her to befriend the new girl living two houses down. She could remember the first time she’d brought Hailey over to meet her parents. Hailey had been both confused and fascinated by their household. No locks on the bedroom doors? No padlocks on the cupboards? Your dad hugs you and isn’t trying to do something else? Her parents had been kind and gracious towards Hailey but had often told Alicia that there was something about her that didn’t sit right with them. Even as an adult, often coming over to Alicia’s parents’ home for different holiday meals, they said the same thing. Something unsettling. Something they couldn’t shake. The way she stared around her, as if taking in everything from the way they spoke to their body language, as if she were merely studying them all. Alicia reasoned that her parents just refused to shake away their preconceived biases towards Hailey. There was a weird stereotype towards foster kids back then and even during her parents’ time. Foster kids were seen as damaged goods. As delinquents who’d grown up to be drains on society.

Alicia had grown so used to Hailey’s quirks that she didn’t really bat an eye at it anymore. Granted, the woman’s desire for violent sex play had completely blown her mind given what she knew, but everything else about the woman just seemed like second nature for her. Alicia may not have lived the hells Hailey experienced, but she was pretty sure she had a decent enough understanding of it. She knew that being Hailey’s friend required a lot of patience and understanding. Hailey saw the world very differently than her and this meant helping Hailey navigate through it. If anything, she felt their friendship was formed for a reason. Hailey was broken and needed guidance and Alicia was there to provide that guidance. She didn’t have to live through it to understand. Showing empathy didn’t require experiencing it.

Jason stepped out from the apartment suddenly, startling her and dragging her from her trailing thoughts. He was already mostly dressed in his costume, a steampunk gunslinger. Alicia’s costume awaited her on the end of her bed, a steampunk can-can girl or whatever it was. He gave her shoulder a squeeze as he circled around and sat down in the seat Hailey had left vacant. “Still mad Hailey isn’t going with us?”

Alicia shrugged, wrangling her hair into a sloppy bun at the back of her head. “I still think it’s shitty she’d rather ditch us to hang out with that creep but can’t talk any sense into her.”

“You’ve been bugging her to get out more since I met you guys,” he laughed. “And now that she’s doing just that, you’re mad?” Still laughing, he eased his frame into the cushions and dropped a hand onto her knee. “You can’t expect her to be your sidekick forever, hon. Let her branch out a bit.”

“I don’t want her to always be my sidekick,” Alicia protested, shaking her head. “I’m just worried he’ll get her into trouble. He’s been busted before for possession. He’s also got some assault charges too. I don’t want to see her mugshot on the news because he got busted with drugs or got into a bar-fight or something and she just happened to be with him.”

Jason shrugged dismissively, giving her knee a squeeze. “I’m not going to worry over a bunch of nothing, Ali. She knows what she’s doing. If she didn’t want to go, she’d have told him. Now you need to start getting ready. We’re going to be leaving soon.”

“I guess you’re right,” she muttered, frowning at him. “But I’m still going on the record that I think something isn’t right about any of whatever they have going on and there’s something wrong with him and that singer.” When he merely gave a nod in response, unwilling to continue the conversation, Alicia scowled and got to her feet. Jason loved playing Switzerland, didn’t he? Unwilling to really take sides or get involved. Sighing, she trudged into the apartment, catching sight of Hailey in the kitchen as she grabbed another soda. “That shit is gonna rot your teeth, woman,” she chuckled as she passed by, catching Hailey’s smirk and middle finger as she made her way towards her bedroom.

Once in her room, she gathered what she needed and slipped into the shower. She needed to _not_ think about shit and just enjoy the night. It was Halloween. They were going to have fun. Hailey was going to have fun and she’d finally be out meeting new and different people. They would all return later in the night with stories to tell and some good laughs. Standing in the shower, she chuckled to herself. Remember all those different parties you dragged Hailey to when we were younger? Her favorite thing to do was hold up a wall and make the most hilarious fucking commentary towards the different guests. _See that bitch over there? She keeps disappearing upstairs with different dudes. Can’t tell me she’s not fucking or sucking them. Bet she swallows too. Look how shiny her hair is. __Dude, __check out the knuckle-dragger over there __with that brain-dead little bitch from our Psychology class__ – me Tad, you Jane, you mine. Drags her out back to ten minutes of mindlessly grunting over her. __Oh my god, dude, check out the booze orgy over in the kitchen! There’s a naked chick laying on the table and they’re doing shots out of her belly button....fucking gag!_

Still laughing to herself, she shut the shower down and stepped out, drying herself quickly and rushing into her bedroom. It took a few moments to figure out the costume, hurriedly dressing herself with the few pieces she could that didn’t require additional assistance. Blouse, skirt and stockings. The pleather corset, garter weapon holster and the crazy hair shit were waiting on the bed. She’d need Jason’s help or Hailey’s help getting the pleather corset on because it laced up through the back. There were also a few additional straps, belts and some weird shoulder straps things that looked overly complicated and she wasn’t even sure she wanted to wear it. From outside the bedroom, she could hear Hailey chattering away with Jason. Murdoc hadn’t bothered to tell her what the costume was, just that it was a surprise. “I hope it’s not some cheesy ass couples costume like a sexy nurse with a doctor...I’ll tell him to shove that costume up his narrow ass.”

***************************************

There were probably a half a dozen different signs that made it clear there was no smoking in the building but Murdoc lit one anyway, riding the lift up to the tenth floor of the building. A few people leaving the apartment building as he’d been going in had given him some major side eye, but he ignored it the best he could. He knew he looked a bit like a nob. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d dressed up for Halloween and yet here he was in some stupid get-up because the fucking suits at the record company decided he just had to attend this stupid posh fucking party. Why couldn’t Albarn or Hewlett do this shit? Why not any one of the dozen collaborators they had involved? Why the fuck did he have to attend? He had enough on his damned plate as it was and really didn’t want to rub elbows with some upper crust Seattle arseholes at some sodding gallery. Scowling to himself, he smoked his cigarette in silence as the lift went higher and higher, refusing to look at his reflection in the polished chrome walls. Even the dullard had laughed at him when he’d finally seen him, but did offer to help him with his hair, which Murdoc had begrudgingly accepted. Not that he needed the help, but if it made the dim-wit feel useful and kept him from trying to make another run for it, so be it.

The apartment building itself was an older one. He’d stepped out of the limo and took in the red brick facade carefully. Supposedly over a hundred years old but had been remodeled quite extensively over the years. It sure as hell didn’t look like the kind of place where flats cost over two grand a month. Maybe she’d been exaggerating? Of course, once he’d stepped inside, he could kind of see why it was so pricey. Massive heavy duty doors with large bolts and locks, the walls and moldings all freshly painted with modern colors. A map on the wall indicated a fitness center somewhere on the first level and a garden terrace of some kind hidden away up on the fifth floor. It also had to direct him towards the lift, which was tucked away down a hall out of sight from the main entrance. Probably a good thing he’d stopped to check the map chart on the wall because he’d have probably been searching for the lift all fucking night. No way in hell was he going to climb ten stories worth of stairs. Probably kill him before he made it halfway up.

When the lift deposited onto the tenth floor, he glanced at his scribble and then looked up at the numbers on the doors. She had said to take a left out of the lift and the apartment would be on the right. Walking slowly down the corridor, he spotted the door to her apartment quickly enough. Knocking loudly, he could hear voices from within followed by the sounds of footsteps. As the door opened, he found himself face to face with the biggest set of knockers he’d ever laid eyes on, practically pouring out of the top of the shirt. And they were right level with his face. A million different jokes danced through his head as he stared at the rack in front of his face. Christ, looked like a pair of Zeppelins in a dead heat. Fucking enormous! Were they real? Losing several seconds, he blinked and looked upward, meeting the face of a woman with white blond hair and features that were almost too girlish. If she caught on that he’d stared at her rack a few seconds too long, she didn’t let on, but she was certainly giving him a quick one over and if he didn’t know any better, she was trying not to laugh. Smirking at him, she backed away and allowed him to step into the flat. Christ, she was a tall bird. Stood at least a full head taller than him. As he stepped inside and looked around the flat curiously, he caught sight of his own mug in a mirror on a far wall. Black hair sticking up with some spray on hair color to give it white streaks, cheap grease-paint on his face, glasses perched on his nose, wearing a white button down with an itchy pair of brown trousers and equally itchy brown vest, the second wardrobe bag hanging over his arm. Fuck, he really looked like a dick, didn’t he?

The blond woman, still smirking at him, extended her hand. “Hi, I’m Alicia. Hailey’s bestie and room-mate.” She gestured at the man standing a few feet behind her, staring at him as if he were a side-show attraction. “And this is Jason.”

Grasping her hand slowly, Murdoc gave a curt nod. “Right, yes, I remember you. You were with your mate at the pub, yeah?” She released his hand and moved so Jason could also give a quick shake, the man still staring like a gobsmacked fool. Tearing his gaze away from the two staring faces, he resumed looking around the flat. Hailey wasn’t kidding. Nothing posh about it. The lounge room was maybe as big as his washroom back at the house on Point Nemo. Kitchen little more than a narrow space that led to an even smaller dining area. To his left was a corridor that veered a hard right. He could feel their eyes on him as he wandered into the lounge room to get them out of his bubble. They were dressed up for some costume shindig of their own. It certainly would explain why the blond bird’s tits were ready to fall out of her get-up.

“Hailey!” Alicia barked, her eyes still on him as he paced around with the garment bag over his arm. “He’s here! We’re getting ready to leave. See you later tonight.” Giving him a curt nod of her own, she flashed a tight lipped smile. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Murdoc.”

“Likewise,” he mumbled, watching them with narrow eyes as they both slipped out the front door. Once they were gone, he sighed and rummaged around in his vest pocket, pulling out a flask. The bird was certainly nice on the eyes and had a great fucking set of tits, but he could smell a cunt from a mile away. And that bitch was _definitely_ a cunt. He’d seen enough fake smiles in his life to know it when he saw it. Taking a quick sip from the flask, he started to casually walk down the corridor, opening a door on his left that revealed a washroom. The door directly in front of him opened up to a rather spacious bedroom but given the ghastly floral and rubbish country cottage décor, he assumed quickly it must be the tall bird’s room. The hall itself veered a hard right and there was another single door at the end. This place definitely was tiny. Did it really cost over two grand to rent the place? Maybe Hailey had been joshing about the price. He could hear movement on the other side of the door as he rapped against it lightly. “Oi, Poppet, you comin’ out? Got your costume.”

“Hey, cool, come on in.” The door opened, Hailey peering out before opening the door all the way and stepping back into her room. She was dressed in what he assumed were lounging clothes – a barely there camisole top and a pair of loose flannel pajama bottoms. Her hair was still damp, indicating she’d showered just before he had arrived. His eyes traveled along her exposed skin, seeing the various marks he’d left on her from their first tryst together. When she took the garment bag from him, he finally took the chance to look around her room. Though he was conscious of her shedding the lounge clothes and standing in the middle of her room in nothing but a pair of plain little cotton knickers, he kept his focus on the walls and décor. If he didn’t they’d be late to the party and she’d be helping him re-apply his costume make up and fixing his hair. Her room was smaller than the Alicia bird’s room. Not by much, but enough to notice. Shelf on a far wall littered with different figurines, the lower shelves stacked with what he assumed were comics. Framed movie posters and even a few band posters adorned her walls and he couldn’t help but crack a smile, seeing similar tastes that he himself had. “Michael Caine, eh?” he chuckled, gesturing at a poster of the actor next to a Mini Cooper from _ **The Italian Job** _.

She’d been sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to figure out the dress. Looking up, she glanced behind her at the poster. “Yeah, he was hot and that was a good movie. You jealous?” She erupted into a cackling laugh as she unzipped the back of the dress and stepped into it.

“Hardly,” he laughed in response. “Just not somethin’ you see ever’day in a bird’s room.” His attention fell to the figurines and comics on the shelf across from him. Sauntering towards the shelf, he knelt down as he examined the figurines. Animated characters of some kind. Dents would probably recognize some of these. A dainty little chick in lingerie with sunglasses and a ray gun coming out of her arm. Some creepy looking bloke with sharp teeth, red eyes, wearing a long red coat and wielding two massive handguns of some kind. Some kids in black robes and wands. Picking up the bloke in the red coat, he looked it over carefully. “You collect toys?”

Only half dressed in the brown Victorian gown, holding the top half carefully to keep it from falling from her shoulders, Hailey looked over at him. “Umm...yeah. Started collecting them in college. Didn’t get shit when I was a kid growing up so I sort of went overboard once I could buy them myself.” Wrangling the rest of the dress onto her shoulders, she looked down at herself before closing her bedroom door and revealing a full length mirror on the wall behind it. “So, you’re dressed like a Victorian dude and I’m a Victorian chick?”

“Sweeney Todd an’ Mrs Lovett, you uncultured Yank,” he chuckled, setting the figurine back down. “I’ll get the zip.” Stepping up behind her, he took a shaky breath when he realized she wasn’t wearing a bra. Though he reasoned this made since since the bodice of the gown was snug enough to keep things contained, it didn’t change the fact that his nether regions were tingling and warm. How could he not? He had a half naked woman standing mere inches from him. A half naked woman covered in marks from his hands and his teeth. He struggled to focus on the task at hand, letting his nails drift over her exposed skin, eyes scanning over the bruises and welts, flickers of images from their night dancing in his mind. Remembering how her body felt, how it tasted. He took another shaky breath and paused, closing his eyes a moment. She was silent in front of him, her own breath quickening as he continued his brief exploration of her bared back. Flattening his palm against her skin, he drifted further up her back as his other hand fumbling for the zipper hidden in the folds of the gown. Fucking hell, he was getting hard again. Down boy. We’re not undressing her. The point of this is to actually get the clothing _onto_ her body. We can work on getting her out later. Struggling to keep his composure, he finally tugged the dress together and pulled the zipper gently. With her finally tucked away in the gown, he massaged his groin briefly, trying to will himself down. He didn’t need to show up at this stupid party with a fucking tent in his trousers.

She examined herself in the mirror, smiling as she took in the all the little details in the gown that he hadn’t even noticed. There was a great deal of lace work on the bodice and sleeves and even at the hem of the gown itself. Partial bustle in the back. She focused her attention on her bared neck and collarbone, turning towards a small desk and pulling out a bag that revealed itself to be some make up. He watched in fascination as she went to work with the make up, the exposed marks on her neck and shoulders suddenly vanishing completely. Catching his stare in the reflection of the mirror, she tapped at her neck. “Did I miss anywhere?”

Murdoc shook his head as he pulled his flask from his pocket. He caught her gaze as he took a few sips from it before passing it towards her. “So, err...we ready for this shit-show?”

Taking the flask, she took a few sips of her own, wincing momentarily before handing it back to him. “You really don’t want to go to this thing, do you? Is it going to be that boring?”

He merely shrugged his shoulders as he tucked the flask back into the vest pocket. “Fuck if I know, Poppet. Reckon we’ll find out when we get there.” He patted the pocket with the flask, cracking a mischievous smile. “We’ll keep this on hand in case the booze is complete shit, yeah? An’ maybe swing by a place an’ pick up some burgers in case the food there is complete rubbish.” Opening the bedroom door, he turned to see her kneeling in her closet. He opened his mouth, ready to tell her to hurry, but the words fell short of his lips when he watched her pull out a pair of trainers and tug them onto her feet. Of course, shoes! He hadn’t even thought of shoes. He was even wearing a pair of old motorcycle boots with his costume because he hadn’t thought that far ahead for himself either. She paused again in the mirror to tug her damp hair into a bun at the top of her head, leaving random strands hanging around her face and head, snatching up what he assumed was a necklace or choker of some kind. “C’mon, love, we gotta get movin’. Starts soon,” he urged, grabbing her arm and tugging her out of the bedroom and towards the front door.

A few residents milling around in the corridor were staring at them as they made their way towards the lift. He kept his eyes on the lift ahead, hearing Hailey greet a few people as she trailed a few steps behind him. Not wanting to deal with additional people riding down with them, he slammed button to shut the doors as soon as she was standing beside him. They rode the lift downward in silence, crossing through the lobby quickly and out the main entrance. Hailey looked around a moment. “Did you take a cab?” Chuckling, he latched onto her arm and directed her towards the waiting limousine, the driver waiting patiently with the back door opened up. “No way,” she muttered in awe. “Is this for real?”

“Record label paid for it,” he chuckled as he got himself comfortable and went straight for the little fridge full of booze. “Reckon there’s a few perks t’ it.” He grabbed the bottle he’d cracked open on the way to the apartment building, topping off his flask with it. “Sit back an’ get comfy!”

As the limousine lurched into traffic and made its way through the maze of one way streets, Murdoc couldn’t help but watch as Hailey looked around and out the windows in quiet wonder. Was it safe to say she’d never ridden in a limo before? Maybe later he could show her what other things they could do in this beast? This thought brought another warm tingle to his nether regions. Fucking hell, now was _not_ the time. He adjusted himself quickly, his gaze shifting to the people milling about on the sidewalk as they cruised by. Some of the people paused on the streets to watch the limo, the same dumb look on their faces. It was a look he’d seen countless times in previous years with Gorillaz as limousines took him and the band to whatever function they were attending. Staring hard at the limo as if they could stare hard enough to actually see who was in the blasted things.

His gaze shifted to the woman sitting beside him. Couldn’t deny that he found her interesting. He recognized that she had crawled from a shit heap life much like he had. Seeing scars on her body that were not from her hand or from any kind of sex play but from her time in state care. Several on her lower back, a few smaller ones littered across her shoulders and even one just under her jaw. He recognized the marks of being whipped as he had several on his back and even the back of his thighs. She didn’t have to elaborate on the origin of the marks on her back because their location alone spoke volumes to him. Was it weird to acknowledge there was some sort of connection? Sure, okay, he’d only known her a few days but the more he got to know about her and where she came from, the more intrigued he’d become. Instead of settling for her lot in life, she’d fought hard to gain her place in life. She could have easily just caved to the naysayers and settled for the cycle of shit she’d been thrown into.

Thinking back to the collection of figurines and comics in her room, he cracked a small smile. She indulged that little kid in her that wanted things they’d been denied. He could remember taking his first royalty check from Gorillaz and buying a fast fucking car, something he’d wanted as a youth but never thought he’d ever get. Indulging in that part of him that was still innocent in a way. He’d loved fast cars as a kid. Couldn’t identify most to save his life, but he remembered loving the sight of sleek looking hot rods when the occasional one would pop up in the cesspool neighborhood he’d grown up in. He could still remember the feeling of exhilaration when he’d signed the paperwork and drove the car off the lot. Had it been the same for her when she had purchased her first collectible toy or comic? Maybe it wasn’t a hundred percent the same seeing that he’d dropped seventy-five-grand on the vehicle and she probably hadn’t paid more than a hundred for the toy or comics, but the feeling surely had to be similar. Finally obtaining that thing you wanted for so long but never thought you’d ever get.

A noise from Hailey disrupted his wandering thoughts as the interior of the limo and the world around them came crashing back into focus. Up ahead there was quite the gathering and judging by the line up of cabs, limousines and other dark vehicles, they were approaching their destination. Hailey turned to look at him and there was no hiding the anxiety she was feeling. He’d done enough of this rubbish to get through it without much fanfare. Scooting closer to her, he gestured towards the front entrance. “The trick is t’ just stare ‘head an’ keep walkin’. Dun’ stop t’ answer questions.”

“I doubt I’m the one they’ll be questioning,” she said through a nervous laugh. “You’re the celebrity.”

“That may be so, but who’s the bird on me arm when I walk in, eh?” Laughing to himself, he checked around the limo quickly to ensure he’d retrieved any and all personal belongings. Flask was still in the vest pocket, wallet was still in his back trouser pocket and it appeared other than a small purse, Hailey had brought very little with her. The limo slowed, finally coming to a stop just outside the main entrance of the gallery. When the driver opened the door, Murdoc made the move to climb out, gesturing for her to follow. There were a lot of people but it was actually a much smaller crowd than he assumed it would be. He recognized reporters along the rope that kept the pathway clear and what he assumed were fans who’d caught wind of the various celebrity appearances. He most likely wasn’t the only one. Some of the journalists started spewing questions almost immediately as soon as Hailey stepped out and latched her arm into his. He could practically feel her vibrating against him. “You’ll be fine,” he assured her as security ushered them down the walkway and through the doors. “One word of advice,” he whispered as they made their way through the lobby. “If they offer you crackers with some weird lookin’ black stuff, dun’ eat it. It’s fuckin’ fish eggs.”


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

The booze was top notch and the food was alright. Murdoc spent the evening slugging back glasses of iced rum while they drifted around the gallery. The food being served wasn’t exactly stuff he ate regularly, but it had been edible and that was all he cared about. Weird little cucumber sandwiches, meat and cracker trays, fruit platters, a dessert tart that had caught his eye immediately. They both nibbled a bit before walking through the gallery with their drinks, Murdoc catching the occasional stare and raised eyebrow aimed in their direction. Whatever anxiety Hailey had been feeling certainly was diminished once she’d gotten a few drinks in her system. His own nerves were grateful for the high end rum they’d been serving. A few guests stopped him to talk about the album, the concert and whatever else they could think of to hold his interest and he navigated those brief conversations carefully, trying like hell not to let too much slip.

The gallery itself was a narrow maze of floating walls adorned with paintings that looked as if toddlers had painted them, bizarre statues on pedestals and other weird modern looking pieces. Both he and Hailey had spent a great deal of time staring at one piece made up of wires, trash and other things, giggling to each other over what it was supposed to represent before moving on to other pieces that left them both baffled and silent. Modern art had never been his gig. He just couldn’t understand it. Hell, even classic art eluded him most of the time, short of the true classics just about anyone could identify. Hailey seemed to recognize some smaller pieces but for the most part seemed just as confused as him. Some of the artists stopped them in an effort to ask what they thought of the pieces and Murdoc was quick to clamp his mouth shut. He was out of his fucking element and was not about to embarrass himself further by pointing out that the piece looked like a preschooler had created it. If he’d known this gig would require him to offer commentary on art pieces, he’d have fought tooth and nail against going to this shit show. This was more Hewlett’s arena. If anything, Murdoc was even more irritated about it because part of him felt the record label forced him to go as a joke, knowing he knew nothing of art and would potentially make a fool of himself.

Hailey remained mostly quiet when he found himself in conversations with different guests. Some introduced themselves to her and others looked at her strangely. A few even outright ignored her, acting as if she were invisible. One of the guests, a man who’d been introduced to him as the city mayor, asked about the where-abouts of his singer. Murdoc had stuttered vague excuses about Stu sitting the party out due to migraines. Luckily, nobody pushed him further on the matter. He really didn’t want to think about the concert, his singer or the other bullshit that had been stressing him out. A few had asked about the _gimmicks_ the band used as a means to keep fans hooked and he’d found himself stammering his way out of those conversations. Yes, Noodle was merely playing a part. No, he isn’t holding anyone captive for real. Plastic Beach did not exist. It was merely a prop in Hewlett’s basement studio. It was all purely for entertainment. One tosser couldn’t seem to not talk without spittle flying from his meat hole and Murdoc ended up wiping his glasses off numerous times before finally excusing himself and dragging Hailey behind him as they made their way towards the bar. He was irritated because he knew he was out of his element, was dying for a fucking cigarette and didn’t want to shoot his mouth off at some of these tossers for their outright terrible social decorum.

From across the gallery, they could see some people dancing in an area he could only assume had been cleared for a dance-floor. He could even see the bird who’d been introduced to him as the state governor in the dancing crowd. He’d never been much for dancing – short of his stage moves. There were a few steps he knew thanks to some music classes taught by a cankerous old fart while in primary school, but he hadn’t ever had the need to use them and realized he could only remember a few steps to the dances at best. There were also moves he’d learned during his brief stint as a stripper, but he doubted the crowd here would appreciate that. Casting a quick side glance over at Hailey, he could see her watching the dancers with a slightly quirked mouth, almost amused at the spectacle. “Feel like joinin’ them?” he asked, gesturing over at the dancers. “Can’t promise I won’t trip over myself, but reckon I can remember a few steps of the waltz.”

“You know how to waltz?” She was now looking at him with wide and surprised eyes, shoving a slice of tart in her mouth. “You don’t come across as someone who knows how to waltz.”

“The less people know, the less people expect of you.” It was a trick he’d learned early on in his life. Limit what people know about you and people won’t expect shit out of you. This had served him well enough during his early failed music ventures and even once he’d started Gorillaz. As far as his band-mates had been concerned and even the suits at the record label, he played bass. Oh, he could play some acoustic guitar when the mood struck him, but he never let anyone in on the fact that he could play a few other instruments as well. And this was all thanks to some little old biddy who’d lived in the neighboring flat when he was just a kid, one of the few people in his childhood to actually show him legitimate kindness.

“That makes sense,” she whispered as she passed him a slice of the dessert tart. “Just makes it easier to live when people don’t expect too much out of you.” Chewing away, she fell silent and he actually kind of liked this silence. It was comfortable. Being able to stand there, not say a word and just be comfortable in each other’s presence. He chewed on his own share of the food, watching the other guests and invitees mingle amongst themselves, seemingly oblivious to the two of them leaning against a wall and using one of the art exhibits as a table for their plate of tart. It appeared that once most of the guests had gotten their chance to speak with him, they promptly left him alone and he was quite alright with this. He hated pointless banter anyway. It was part of the reason he despised being forced to attend functions like this. Surrounded by people who prattled on about hot button issues as if they actually gave a shit. If they truly gave a shit, they wouldn’t be holding a party like this full of posh snobs and posh food. Just an excuse to act as if they cared long enough to change the subject to their latest sports car purchase.

The one bonus about parties like this was it gave him the ability to people watch. People watching gave him the chance to adequately size up his audience but it also provided some good entertainment if you caught a crowd on the right kind of night. This was the right the kind of night for it because he could even admit some fun as he tried to guess the various costumes. Clearly this was a hobby Hailey had herself because she was studying the crowds also, the corners of her mouth twitching when she saw something that looked particularly amusing.

His brief thoughts were interrupted when Hailey made a noise, her attention diverting over towards the food table. He followed her gaze, seeing a congregation of Star Wars characters. He counted three Princess Leias, five Han Solos and one or two Luke Skywalkers. They were all laughing and gesturing at each other’s outfits. One of the Leias was in the infamous metal bikini number and he did a quick one over of her body before focusing on the other characters. Hailey’s quirky mouth spread into a devious grin as she pointed over in their direction. “Twenty bucks says that turns into an orgy by the end of the night.”

“You’re on,” he chuckled, his gaze following the half naked Leia. “Fifty says it will be the Leias only.”

“You’d like that way too much,” she added through a snort. She passed him another slice of tart, setting the plate back on top of the art exhibit. A weird smirk spread across her face when the group started hugging and the congregation of Leias were practically joined at the hip. “You should go introduce yourself,” she said through a laugh, tugging at his shirt sleeve. “Maybe you’ll find yourself the center of their orgy?”

A loud barking laugh escaped from him as he struggled not to choke on the food he’d been chewing on. There was no way she was serious. He looked at her face, hoping to see something there to indicate this was a joke, but even with that weird little smirk on her face, she looked pretty fucking serious. Closing his eyes, he uttered a groan without meaning to, brief imagery coming to mind of being surrounded by the three women as they caressed him with their hands and mouths. He had to shake the imagery away because it was sending all sorts of fun tingles down south. He couldn’t believe she was even suggesting such a thing. Or maybe he could? She was a hard bird to read, no doubt about that, but he certainly never would have guessed she’d suggest he try his luck with another guest. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he gave her a playful swat on the backside. “Only if you join too.”

“Nah, chicks aren’t my thing,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Strictly dickly. Tits and pussy don’t do anything for me, man.”

Still laughing, he leaned in close, his lips at her ear. “Bet I can get you so worked up, you wouldn’t care who was down there eatin’ you out.”

“Unlikely,” she said firmly, gently pushing him back and pointing back at the women. “Blond Leia has been giving you some serious side eye. Maybe you can hold onto her buns and fuck her face?” She reached her hands out, holding air while doing some exaggerated hip thrusts, unable to hold back and collapsing against the wall cackling loudly. And here he had been ready to declare this party pure balls! He laughed against his drink, trailing behind her as she found another wall that wasn’t cluttered with paintings or some other exhibit and leaned into it, her own drink in her hand. Leaning into the wall beside her, this new wall gave them a different view of the gallery, the Star Wars orgy now completely hidden away by the thick of bodies. She now had her focus on another group. Miscellaneous costumes, no set theme. Murdoc wasn’t even sure what the hell they were supposed to be. She drained her glass with hardly a wince, pointing over at the hodgepodge assortment of costumed guests. “See that guy over there?”

He followed her finger across the gallery, assuming it was pointing at the dark haired man in the doctor costume. Not necessarily a bad looking bloke, but he sure as shit looked like a twat. Probably was a twat. Nodding his head, he grunted in response as he drained his own glass. “Aye, dark haired twat in the surgeon garb, yeah?”

“I know that douche,” she said through another snort. “Works on the floor above my offices. Total cunt. Thinks he’s god’s gift to women. He’s fucked probably half the female staff where I work. He’s trying to get down the pants of Jessica Rabbit over there. I overheard him use the same fucking pick up lines he’s used on the gals at work.” She dropped her voice to a whisper, leaning in close to his ear. “One gal claimed he roofied her at a bar. They just couldn’t prove it was him, though.”

Murdoc frowned, narrowing his eyes at the dark haired twat. “What kind of weak game does he have if he has t’ drug a bird?” His frown turned into a scowl. The things he liked to do might cause some turmoil and gossip but he wasn’t such a degenerate tosser that he had to resort to drugging women. Usually all he had to do was lay on his charm, utter a few canned flatteries, show them the length of his tongue or even the size of his cock and that was all she wrote. The man in the surgeon get-up wasn’t a bad looking man. Dark hair, dark eyes, a complexion that made Murdoc wonder if he had Armenian bloodlines and a mouth full of sparkling white teeth. Women should be flocking to this bloke. He couldn’t imagine the man having any shortage of willing women of his own.

“Most of the chicks know his game now,” she said, watching the man carefully as he interacted with the busty woman in the red dress and red wig. “Hell, I think most of the downtown Seattle night-life knows his game now.”

Murdoc took another drink from his glass, his eyes focused on the costumed woman. She was definitely well within range of his usual hunting habits and part of him entertained the idea of intercepting Dr Giggles over there and stealing the prey away. He cast a glance at Hailey, who was watching the scene unfold with the same cold curiosity that he was. Returning his gaze back to Dr Giggles and Jessica Rabbit, a snorting laugh erupted from him when some other bloke – one of the Han Solos they’d just watched earlier – came up to them, said a few things and walked away with Jessica on his arm, leaving Dr Giggles to stand there with a surprised and dejected look on his face. Looked like his game wasn’t as strong as he’d hoped seeing that Han Solo simply walked up, appeared to have said barely a few words to Jessica before walking off with her on his arm. That’s how you do it, mate, he thought to himself with a smug grin. No need to lay shit on too thick.

Feeling Hailey tug against his sleeve, he tore his gaze away from the abandoned Dr Giggles. She was pointing at the clock. “It’s almost midnight. Looks like the party is starting to wrap up. Wanna get me home before I turn into a drunk pumpkin?”

****************************************

Browsing through the various adult DVD’s stacked by the telly, 2D frowned and turned away with a huff. He hated feeling this way. When he’d found out Murdoc was taking off to the Halloween party with the bar slag he’d picked up two nights ago, the singer had all but begged him to at least bring him someone to bide his time with. Surely Seattle had an escort service of some kind! Or pluck away one of the hundred fans who’d set up camp near the arena to be first in line. He’d keep his mouth shut about what was going on, just bring him a willing female. That was all he’d wanted. But all Murdoc had done was laugh at his misery as he left, not even bothering to thank him for fixing his hair properly. The singer was at least able to get some level of payback. Murdoc was extremely self conscious of his receding hairline and by styling the hair to stick up, it revealed it for all to see. What made it all the more amusing was that Murdoc never questioned the hair style after 2D explained that it was supposed to look that way. The other thing 2D noticed while working on Murdoc’s hair was the grey roots. He’d had suspicions that the man dyed his hair, vain fucker that he was, but seeing how evenly the grey was coming through, it only verified this suspicion. Given how self conscious the man had become about his signs of aging, it made 2D curious as to why the man hadn’t resorted to plastic surgery of some kind. Murdoc had always looked older than his age and 2D could only attribute this to hard living. Still a wonder how the man hadn’t dropped dead yet with the way he smoked and drank, not even including the other substances that 2D knew the man still dabbled in.

Dropping limply into his bed, he groaned loudly. He was fucking bored. That wrecked old tosser was out hitting the town with his shag and here he was trapped in his hotel suite with that blasted monstrosity that refused to let him so much as leave the room to hit up the bar downstairs. Even if it did let him head down there, not like he could really get far because everyone thought it was Noodle playing a part and Noodle wouldn’t have been old enough to get into an American bar.

Holy fuck, today was her birthday! He’d been so caught up in his own fucking misery, he’d totally spaced that Noodle’s birthday was today and she’d be twenty years old. If she were still alive. It had been four or five years now and there’d been not a single whisper about her so 2D could only assume the worst. She was another casualty of Murdoc’s long list of bullshit schemes. Most likely killed when they’d filmed the El Manana music video. Shot down by a group that Murdoc had fucked over. 2D could feel his anger firing up hotter and hotter as he thought about it. The bassist did nothing but look for some new scheme to get rich off of, often leaving everyone else to clean up the mess when the scheme blew up in his face. 2D wasn’t completely in the loop with Murdoc’s more recent dealings but seeing that this pirate group had been hunting him down for several years, 2D could only imagine. Why else would the man tuck tail and bolt off to a deserted island? Why else would he have created the Cyborg to protect him?

His maniacal schemes had brought too many innocent people into the crossfire and now 2D was amongst the innocent bystanders because the bassist decided it was time to create another album and he needed his singer. The men hunting for Murdoc surely were aware that the man was flaunting himself and this impostor Gorillaz all around the world. 2D suspected the group must have gotten close a few times because Murdoc had become a stressed out paranoid mess. But he was still hell bent on rampaging around the world with the live show, but the stress and worry were noticeable. It was in the way the bassist scanned over the crowds during their show. Ignoring the adoring female fans who he could easily drag backstage with him after shows. Always keeping the Cyborg close by if it wasn’t made to keep an eye on the singer. It had made 2D wonder just _how_ close a potential assassin had gotten for the man to basically isolate himself completely and forgo female companionship, which only seemed to add to the man’s stress and temper.

Given the bassist’s state of mind as of late, it had confused the singer when the man suggested they hit the town. Perhaps the lack of time off as well as the isolation had finally gotten the better of him and he was looking for a means of release? Maybe he’d felt confident that those chasing him hadn’t yet tracked him to Seattle? And finding out they’d have several days to stretch their legs a bit certainly had been a nice change. The tour schedule had them pretty much putting on a show for a night and then packing up on to the next venue by the following night. 2D had been as ecstatic for the Seattle stop as everyone else but was only greeted with crushing disappointment when he realized that Murdoc was going to keep him on a tight leash. Surely taking off to spend time and blow off steam with the woman was a risk. Wasn’t Murdoc worried about 2D trying to make another run for it or even calling for help? The Cyborg malfunctioned constantly and it was only a matter of time before it went wonky again and allowed 2D another opening. Had Murdoc grown too confident in the robot or was he too busy thinking with his dick to currently care?

“Finkin’ wiff his dick,” he growled to himself, rising from the bed. The man had a living and breathing woman in his midst. He’s most likely making up for a great deal of lost time. The singer shook his head, growling under his breath. He knew he’d be doing the same if Murdoc had allowed the chance. He was only fucking human and he was feeling desperate. Especially knowing that the man was probably shagging the hell out of that woman as he stood there thinking about it. Christ, don’t think about it! He didn’t want to even picture that man fucking a woman. Filthy degenerate who saw women as nothing more than a warm receptacle for his cock. But 2D knew he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t gagging for it at this point. Especially after overhearing the fuck fest next door that first night Murdoc had met the woman and dragged her back to his suite.

Making a brisk walk over the telly and DVD player, he fumbled through the stack of adult films before reefing one open and shoving the DVD into the player. As the telly came to life and the action started, 2D sank back down onto the bed and closed his eyes. Pleasant imagery accompanied the moans of the woman and he pictured himself with the pretty blond girl he’d been chatting up that night at the pub. Tiny waist, perky little tits that were the perfect size and soft smiling lips. Unable to hold back, he uttered a groan as he massaged himself through his trousers. This was the closest he was going to get so he might as well let loose and enjoy the best he could.

Stripping himself down from the waist down, he grabbed his lotion and a towel, trying to ignore the dead glassy stare of the Cyborg. Normally having a voyeur didn’t appeal to him but he was beyond giving a toss at this point. Frantic as he got comfortable and resumed handling himself gently in tune to the moans of the woman on the plasma screen, his mind only seeing that beautiful little blond woman and her cute little tits and what he could only imagine was warm snug heat around his cock. Imagining her straddled across his hips as he pumped into her. He allowed his voice to rise, pumping his hips more frantically, uncaring of his audience. He was almost there and if the Cyborg wanted to watch and take in the sight of him wanking off, so fucking be it. He gripped down harder, still focusing on what he could remember of the woman, the moans from the plasma leading his imagination where it needed to go. Release came crashing down into him and he let out a few sputtered whimpers as he continued to reflexively pump into his slicked hand. With the suite coming back into focus, he rolled his head limply to the side, seeing the Cyborg still standing there and staring directly at him.

It took a moment for him to finally move from the bed. He tossed the towel aside with a sneer and grabbed a clean pair of briefs. Here he was, a world famous musician and he had to resort to wanking because he had no access to a woman. It certainly helped with his building frustrations, but could only help so much. He knew once the bassist returned with the woman, he’d have to listen to them go at it most of the night and honestly didn’t want to hear it. His body reacted as much as it disgusted him and it just made him very fucking aware of what Murdoc was denying him.

He lit himself a cigarette and cast a quick glance over at the Cyborg. It remained in place, the glassy and dead eyes following his every move around the suite. The clothing Murdoc had chosen for it often made 2D wonder even more about the man. It was clearly some kind of military cadet uniform, but the shirt seemed too small, exposing some midriff, and the shorts might as well been hot pants. Goofy little beret perched on top of its head. The overall look could have been laughable if not for the belt of ammo and gun holstered against its side. Given its young female form, 2D had wondered if Murdoc had created it for other activities given their isolation on the rubbish island. But the moment such speculation had left the singer’s lips, he’d found himself thrown to the ground and pinned beneath Murdoc as the man’s fist pummeled the back of his head. He hadn’t sure if the man was truly offended by the implication or if he was just in a shit mood. It had been honest speculation and probably well deserved for the bassist. The man literally fucked every female that crossed his path. Both 2D and Russel had even discussed how to handle the situation when Noodle had reached her teen years, both of them with very real worries about the bassist and how he’d handle having a teenage girl in the house.

Thankfully, the worries had been proven to be unfounded because Murdoc seemed to respect Noodle in ways that escaped 2D. He was mostly kind to her, could talk to her without losing his temper and the two of them seemed to have a weird little bond that excluded Russ and 2D entirely. Murdoc had also been involved with a woman and they’d had some sort of half arsed relationship that seemed to suit the bassist well. They’d all liked the woman immensely. When the relationship ended, the other three had assumed the most obvious reason – Murdoc being unable to remain faithful. He went back to old behaviors almost immediately and then Noodle disappeared during the video shoot and the man pretty much went on a full blow bender. Initially both 2D and Russel just figured the man didn’t give a toss, but 2D overheard a lot from Murdoc’s motor home in the nights that followed, coming to realize that the bassist was in pain over losing the woman and Noodle. Late night drunken ramblings that would go on for hours.

2D shook his head. Christ, was he actually starting to feel sympathy towards the man again? He brought all that bullshit onto himself and deserved whatever pain he felt. He most likely fucked around which led to the woman leaving and it had been his shady dealings that led to Noodle possibly being killed. He continued to be a tosser and look where it got him. Alone, hunted, paranoid and now trying to keep up some ridiculous charade to keep everyone else from catching on. This was all on Murdoc’s shoulders and his shoulders alone. The pirates he crossed would eventually find him. Couldn’t hide forever. They’d track him down and end him, simple as that. Whether on the island or on the road, the bassist’s day of reckoning would come. The singer didn’t really like thinking about this. As much as he currently hated his band-mate, he wasn’t sure he had a death wish for the man. A good beat down he surely deserved and the line for that alone could easily be a mile long, but 2D couldn’t say for sure that the man deserved to be shot like a dog in the dirt. Fucking hell, he hated this conflict. Murdoc had mistreated him since they first met and this mistreatment got worse and worse as the years dragged on. They’d only lost contact a few years at best and when the man needed his singer, instead of actually asking and working up some contracts, he’d tracked 2D down, gassed him and had him brought to an island of garbage to provide his vocals. And Murdoc had picked up his mistreatment where he left off, only now he had that android monstrosity to help beat the singer into submission.

Shutting down the DVD, he sat at the edge of the bed and smoked his cigarette. Eventually this would be over and maybe Murdoc would come to his senses and finally release him. He certainly wasn’t going to hold his breath, but there was hope all the same. Murdoc was a bastard but the singer had seen fleeting moments of kindness here and there through the years and knew the man could care for something other than himself. It was possible that he may come to his senses a bit once some of the main stressors were removed. Perhaps he might even be open to therapy and rehab. He most certainly needed both. 2D chuckled bitterly, shaking his head. Yeah, right. Murdoc’s idea of therapy was whatever he could snort and any kind of hundred proof booze he could get his filthy hands on. The only way he’d ever seriously consider such a thing was if he was being forced and even then, he’d try any way he could to get himself out of it. Hell, he’d probably throw himself in front of a speeding car just so he could claim he was busted up in the hospital to get out of anything a court ordered him to do. That was just how he was.

2D sighed and laid back down onto the bed. As much as he hated this charade, it would be over soon. There were only a handful more stops through the tour and eventually the musicians would part ways and it would just be him, Murdoc and the monstrosity once again. With it all finally ending, there was that slim opening of hope that Murdoc would release him because he’d no longer have any further use of him. And when that moment came, 2D wasn’t going to hesitate to get as far away as humanly fucking possible and he’d then sample thirty one flavors as he made up for lost time.

*****************************************

Sweet sugary Beelzebub, every nerve ending seemed to feel the hot wet warmth of her mouth around him. Wasn’t often you could find a bird who could handle every inch of him like this. Even more rare to find one who knew what the fuck to do. How often had he sat there while some vapid little slag slobbered all over his cock only to find out that taking all eight inches of Niccals firepower was more than she bargained for? Most of the time he’d been too high or drunk to really give a shit that the blowie wasn’t the best, just happy to see a pretty girl on her knees worshiping his cock. He could count on one hand how often he’d run across a bird who knew what to do. Even if they couldn’t take all of him, they certainly had some great tricks up their sleeves! He was starting to count his blessing this time around because after the dry spell he’d had, stumbling across a bird who knew what to do and could swallow every fucking inch of him was a rare treat. “Faster,” he breathed, dropping his head back against the seat of the limousine. “Fuckin’ hell, go faster.” Hailey obliged without a word. Kneeling between his knees, gown pooled around her, small noises coming from her when he reached a shaking hand out and smoothed her hair from her face. This bird was a fucking champ. Christ, when would she bob up for air?

The party hadn’t been a complete waste of his time, thank Satan for small miracles. The booze had been ace and the food edible. He’d done his obligatory rounds through the different groups who had also been in attendance and eventually he and Hailey found themselves mostly left alone. They’d ended up just talking and laughing as they drank and people watched. They offered up different commentary on the different guests they watched. When the Star Wars orgy never came to fruition, they bickered over who owed who. Jessica Rabbit did end up leaving with Dr Giggles, much to his disappointment. Overall, he had honestly had a good time. When it was clear things were winding down and people were starting to leave, he’d suggested extending their evening. He’d slipped the driver a hundred dollar bill and told him to head to that dodgy cafe to park and grab himself some coffee and pie. The driver didn’t ask any questions, simply taking the money and doing as asked. No doubt the man was well aware of why Murdoc wanted the alone time. There’d been some play through the drive, Murdoc spinning Hailey so her legs were on his shoulders with him burrowing into the gown only to discover she’d somehow shed her knickers when she’d been changing. Worked for him. Even with the glass partition, he was sure the driver could hear her wails as he used his tongue and fingers on her.

Murdoc had only got small samples of her oral abilities in their earlier bouts but once the limo was parked and the driver was gone, she’d wasted no time dropping to her knees and unfastening his trousers, freeing his erection from the confines of his briefs and taking all of him into her mouth. And whatever the fuck she was doing with her tongue was working because he had to keep reaching behind him to clutch at something – anything – so he had enough leverage to thrust. Pacing herself carefully, sometimes bringing a hand around to grip him so she could do some other spectacular move with her tongue. He soon had both hands in her hair, guiding her head carefully as he flexed his hips as much as he could. Watching her bob her head on his cock was doing all kinds of wonderful shit in his head and even with the pending release that was one strong suck away, he found himself smoothing her hair away from her face because he wanted to fucking _see_ her swallow his cock. The imagery in front of him did not fucking disappoint and her eyes had surfaced, locking with his as she continued to bob on his dick, the sensations rippling through him. He was about to hit that wall and there’d be no going back. Both hands were in her hair, clutching it as hard as he dared as he forced her face down to meet his thrusting hips. Harder, faster and soon everything faded into waves of white noise in his head as he slammed his hips into her face and held her firm. He’d cried out without meaning to, almost whimpering as everything finally came back into focus and he slowly loosened his grip on her hair. She didn’t move, mouth still holding him snugly at the base of his cock as his body gave a few reflexive twitches.

She waited him out patiently, allowing his body to come down before finally drawing back. He watched with tired eyes as she reached for one of the two full shot glasses full of rum he’d lined up earlier, downing it quickly. Helluva chaser, he thought groggily as he lay there spent against the seats. He felt warm, still a bit buzzed from the drinks and almost vibrating from pleasant feelings that continued to ripple through his body. It took a herculean effort to move but move he finally did as he reached a hand out towards the other shot glass. Savoring the spicy warm glow of the run, he cracked a sleepy smile and sank back into the seat. “What should we do next, eh?”

Hailey sat down beside him, her hand coming up and gently pressing against his cheek. “You look like you could use some sleep.”

“Bah! This is nothin’.” Rubbing at his eyes, he weakly sat upright. He could see smears of grease-paint on his hands. He’d need to get back to the hotel to wash this shit off of him. “Just need a moment, really.”

She said nothing to this, merely smiling at him as he stretched and tried to wake himself up. They were parked around the corner from the diner so he had no way of knowing how much longer the driver would take. Could go and fetch him so they could get back to the hotel. Or, better yet, how about her place? The flat-mate would just love that. Matter of fact, the more he thought about it, the more he liked that idea. Really rub it in the bitch’s face. He wouldn’t need more than twenty minutes before he’d be raring to go again and what better place to do it than Hailey’s place where that cunt flat-mate would have to overhear him ravaging her best mate? Fuck yes, this was a glorious little plan and it would benefit him in more ways than one. Evening entertainment in pissing off the flat mate and Hailey’s body for his taking. Buttoning and zipping his trousers, he moved towards the door and slipped out into the cold, telling her to stay put and he’d back back shortly. Get the driver back over so they could get back to her flat, shower off this god awful make up and then turn his attentions onto this peculiar woman who’d somehow found herself his companion during his stay in this city.

As luck would have it, the driver was already paying and exiting the diner, spotting Murdoc as he gestured that it was time to roll out. “Drop us off at her place,” Murdoc said gruffly, slipping the man another Benjamin and patting his back as he slipped back into the limousine. He got himself comfortable and pulled Hailey closer, letting his hand pull up the hem of the gown slowly so he could seek skin to skin contact again. Maybe some tiny little teases to warm the engines a bit before they got to her flat. She was mostly silent through the drive, comfortably curled against him as the limousine lurched through the maze of one way streets before finally coming to a stop outside her apartment building.

He managed to work in some more teasing touches and playful nips as the lift carried them to her floor, breaking away flushed and breathless when the doors finally opened up. He was feeling light, all of the stresses that had been bearing down on him no longer so burdensome. Could be the booze. Could be the easy access to tail he’d managed to obtain. Whatever it was, he wasn’t knocking it. Just ride with the good feelings and don’t question it. She’d passed him a few fluffy towels and directed him towards the shower, making only a quick comment not to use the red bottle of shampoo because that was Alicia’s. Okay, no problem. Once under the hot stream, he washed his body quickly, though it did take some work to wash the grease paint from his face and that tacky spray on color from his hair. He was already anticipating what would be waiting for him once she had her own shower and it didn’t take long to get hard again. After rinsing himself, he shut the shower down and stepped out quietly, the fluffy towels warm and soft.

Hailey met him as he was exiting the washroom with only a towel around his waist. She was loosely clad in a soft robe, most likely starkers beneath the thing and he’d rumbled some appreciative noises as she squeezed past him with her own towels. He sauntered back to her room and shut the door behind him, yanking the towel from his waist and tossing it into the laundry hamper in the corner. The room was warm, dimly lit by a simple little lamp and filled with that sweet scent he’d continuously smelled on her. Laying down onto the bed, he listened as she showered and his mind brought up splendid images of seeing her lathering the soap across her body. Christ, he’d hit the jackpot hadn’t he? Warm, comfortable, stroking himself slowly as he waited for her to come back to the room. She wasn’t a very easy read, but she wasn’t a brainless idiot, seemed like she held her own quite well and was down for whatever he fancied at the drop of a hat, whether it was shots or a shag. Can’t quite go wrong there.

His gaze drifted lazily over towards the shelf full of figurines. That creepy fucker in the red coat seemed to stick out. Rising from the bed, Murdoc wandered over and picked it up again, looking it over. Chuckling to himself, he crawled back into the bed and continued to examine the figurine. Didn’t some birds fine anime men hot or something? He knew the animes he’d been forced to watch with the Face-Ache certainly had some lovely women in it, but they all looked the same to him. Even the men seemed to have a common look.

When Hailey slipped into the bedroom finally, bundled in her robe, she looked over at him. He was laying on the bed completely naked, holding the figurine. Catching her peculiar look, he held up the figurine with a grin. “Oi, let’s have a threesome!” he drawled in a high pitched voice, unable to hold back and falling into a lapse of giggles as he set the figurine aside on the little bedside table.

She cracked a smile of her own, crawling across the bed and across the length of his body, her mouth searching skin as she grazed her lips across his stomach, his chest, gently pressing against his mouth before pulling away. “You like my toys, eh?”

“It’s interestin’ t’ me,” he admitted, as he brought his hand up and smoothed away her wet hair. “Can’t believe I’m hookin’ up with a bird who collects toys.”

“You find it weird?” The smile on her face melted away, her brow twitching with what he could only assume was concern. “Just a weird childhood thing for me. Like I told you, never got shit when I was a kid so I went overboard once I could...You wouldn’t be the first person to think they’re silly.”

“Oh, hush,” he whispered, placing a finger against her lips. “I’m not breakin’ your balls, love. An’ I sure as hell dun’ think they’re silly. _I get it_. I’ve been there. People who get thins’ handed t’ them dun’ understand what it’s like for people like us.” He let out a content sigh as she curled against him, every part of him enjoying the skin to skin contact. “When I was a kid...only thins’ I had were a dilapidated bed, a wardrobe an’ maybe a few toys me Dad fished out of a rubbish bin. We didn’t even have a telly in our home until I was probably sixteen an’ I think m’ older brother nicked it from somewhere.” He chuckled softly to himself, remembering those long ago memories of the life he’d walked away from the first chance he’d had. “Used t’ get so mad when other kids would show up at school after the holidays an’ brag ‘bout their new toys. I was lucky if I got fuckin’ supper.”

“Makes you feel like an outsider,” she murmured as she ran her hand across his chest. “Being forced to watch kids open presents knowing you won’t get anything. Being told you’re bad and don’t deserve things...”

“Gettin’ beat for even darin’ t’ ask...” he added, pulling her closer. He brought his free hand around, letting his fingers slide through her hair. “An’ people wonder why we go nuts once we have the chance t’get our hands on those thins’.” He could feel her hand sliding lower, brushing against his partially erect cock. There was a warm comfort in just lying there, tangled together, her touch amazingly gentle. He craned his neck to peer over at her clock. After two in the morning. “You have t’ work tomorrow, dun’ you?”

Still gently massaging him, she nodded. “You probably have things to do also.”

“That I do, but I dun’ need t’ wake as early as you do.” A massive sigh erupted from him as he shifted and turned so he was facing her, smiling as he glided his fingers across her cheek. He wasn’t sure he had the energy for their usual type of bed play, but even just laying there and being able to feel her body against his felt wonderful. Shivers of delight ripping down his spine as she moved her hands across his body, dragging her nails gently across his back. It had been too many years since he’d been able to simply lay there and bask in the warmth and comfort of gentle touches. As much as he loved the rougher side of things when it came to sex, he wasn’t opposed to the gentler aspects of it either. Whether it was the late hour or the drink dulling his senses, he just wanted something soft and comforting. He’d felt so good the last several hours and didn’t want that light and good feeling to diminish. Pressing his mouth against hers, he adjusted his body carefully against hers, hitching her leg over his hip so he could enter her slowly. He could feel her tense briefly before relaxing as he groaned against her mouth. Breaking away from her mouth, her let his lips explore her throat as he continued to work slowly, drawing out panting little moans from her as she moved her body to meet his.

Christ, he wanted to just push her back, climb on top of her and start pounding, but he also really liked this slow pace he’d managed to maintain, able to feel her body react with each movement of his hips. Their movements became more frantic, his mumbled moans forming words of desire as he pressed his head to hers, meeting her gaze through glazed half lidded eyes. This was just too delicious to rush, being able to hold her close as their bodies met. He couldn’t shake her gaze, confused at how those very same eyes had looked upon him with nothing but cold and dark desire just a day ago and now were warm and welcoming, something within falling away. Squeezing his eyes shut, he brought his mouth back to hers, hearing her whimpered moans for release as he started moving harder and deeper. Clutching her tight as they both panted and whimpered through the climax, dully aware of her nails finally digging down into his arms as she clung to him.

He lay there for a long moment, feeling the sticky trickle of sweat between them and not really caring. Neither moved, still laying there tangled together. He could barely will himself to move, every part of him still tingling. She brought a trembling hand to his face, wiping at the sweat he could feel across his forehead and in his eyes. The desire to sleep was overwhelming. Her own movements and breathing were getting slower and steadier. Though he was still awake enough to realize he was still buried in her, he wasn’t sure if he could even move enough to disengage from her body. Every time he closed his eyes, he could feel the threat of heavy sleep. Hailey was still curled against him, now sound asleep. He struggled to keep his eyes open, only just remembering that he’d wanted to be as raunchy and as loud as possible in order to piss off her flat-mate, but that no longer seemed important. Erupting into a massive yawn, he buried his face into her hair and allowed his eyes to drift closed.


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

Bundled up in her bathrobe and some warmer pajamas, Hailey clutched the hot mug of coffee as she sipped from it and smoked her cigarette, her gaze from the balcony one she’d seen numerous times but always enjoyed. She’d only been awake maybe twenty minutes at the most and a cursory glance at the clock had indicated that she would only have about a hour until she would have to leave for work. Since she’d showered right before going to bed, it was one less thing she had to worry about. Additionally, she still had to rouse her guest and get him out the door, unwilling to leave him here and in Alicia’s cross-hairs. She hated the idea of waking him after only four and a half hours of sleep but she would have little choice in that matter. She could already imagine the look on Alicia’s face if she woke up and found the man standing in her kitchen making coffee.

She’d had a great deal of fun last night. Even though the dress was uncomfortable and itchy, she’d barely noticed it as they wandered around the gallery making jokes and giggling at the different art installations like a pair of grade-schoolers. Wasn’t there a penis statue that they’d both snickered at until they were red-faced? They’d even attracted a few raised eyebrows from terrible _**Beavis and Butt-Head**_ impressions, which had them both rolling with laughter as they staggered away from the more amusing exhibits. Though he’d griped early on about how much he hated these kind of events, once he’d made good on his obligations to the record label by talking with the different guests and answering questions, he’d loosened up and was more than happy to join her as they made rounds and people watched. She did have a bit of trouble understanding him when he got over excited about something but had honestly had a great time. This wasn’t even including the stellar times they’d had in the back of the limo. This brought her mind back to those moments after they’d showered and got settled into bed. She’d fully expected some more noisy and wild sex but had been surprised at the detour taken in the wake of their hushed conversation. What made it all the more strange was how she’d enjoyed the closeness. Usually that gentle shit didn’t really do much for her but for reasons that escaped her, had followed his lead without hesitation. Couldn’t deny that it did feel different. And having him so close had felt _so good_.

Taking another sip of coffee, she shook her head and mentally kicked herself for allowing herself to drop some of her guard. Though she suspected he’d let some of his guard down too, her mind struggled to find reason to this. They’d both been drinking and were exhausted by the time they’d reached her apartment. The sex had been subdued and gentle because neither one wanted to move much after being out most of the night. She was reading way too much into it all, even picking apart the whispered moans of wanting that had come from his lips as climax approached. She’d done the same, had she not? And after all was done, they’d simply fallen asleep still tangled together. She had awoken to her alarm to find him still curled around her, arms holding her snugly against him.

This whole little arrangement they had was simply a fuck and nothing more. That line in the sand had been drawn the first night they’d hooked up but she recognized that the line started to blur the moment they’d met up for coffee. And there was little doubt in her mind that something had definitely shifted and changed a bit last night. When that change happened, she wasn’t entirely sure. The party? In the back of the limo? Those moments they had laid in her bed talking? Whatever, quit thinking on it or you’ll drive yourself crazy. You had sex and it was just different than the normal sex you usually dig. He’s a great lay so you were down with however he wanted to do it. If she was indeed letting her guard down a bit, it had to do with the fact that she’d found someone who at least understood where she came from. And she could only assume that it was the same for him. They’d both crawled from their own personal hells to get where they were and only people who’d been there would understand.

Alicia, as much as she tried, could never understand. And as much as the woman denied it, Hailey suspected that she was jealous of the time Hailey was spending with Murdoc. Jealous that Hailey had unwittingly stumbled across the path of someone else who could understand because he’d been there too. Ali could paint it up as concern over his lifestyle and bad boy image all she wanted. She was merely trying to convince herself. Why else would she continue to try to give Hailey grief over spending time with him? Ali had never given a shit about the men Hailey hooked up with, yet she was on high alert the moment she realized Hailey and Murdoc had gotten closer. Hailey had no illusions about their fling, though. That’s what baffled her the most about Alicia’s misgivings of the man. They got closer because there was a mutual understanding of one another and they enjoyed each other’s company when they weren’t fucking. But it didn’t change the fact that it was nothing more than a fling that would end when he left the city.

From within the apartment she could hear movement. Someone rummaging through the cupboard for a coffee mug followed by the faint clink of the coffee carafe as it met the mug. She remained in the chair on the balcony, finally hearing a deep cough that indicated it was Murdoc. He stepped out into the chilly morning air, sloppily dressed in the trousers from his costume and the white button down hanging open and one of the extra coffee mugs clutched in his hand. His hair was sticking up everywhere from falling asleep with wet hair last night and he looked fucking exhausted if the bags under his eyes were any indication, but he cracked a warm smile upon seeing her, a hand coming out and moving through her hair before he laid claim to the chair beside her. “G’ mornin’.”

Still sipping at her coffee, she smiled and gave a small nod of her head. “Good morning.” They both drank their coffee in silence, watching as the sun made its climb above the skyline. Couldn’t deny that it was a pleasant and comfortable silence. He was relaxed, smoking his cigarette with the mug of coffee resting on his knee. Completely at ease in his unknown surroundings. It was like seeing him in a completely different light and she couldn’t deny that he looked pretty fucking good. Even with his messy bed-head and sleepy eyes. Fuck, her head was confusing her. “Suppose you’ll need to be heading out soon?”

He nodded through another sip from the mug. “Sound check, meetin’ with some record label twats an’ Satan knows what else.” Pausing between sips, he raked a hand thought his messed hair. “Might need t’ shower ‘gain when I get back t’ the suite.”

“Didn’t mean to filthy you up,” she chuckled.

He laughed in return, leaning over and ruffling at her hair playfully. “There...now we match.” This resulted in more giggles from him and even some peculiar quacking noises as he struggled to drink his coffee and finish his cigarette. It was strangely warming to see him so relaxed. Like a big kid, really. Able to drop that showman facade and just be himself. Just like at the party once he’d made his obligated rounds and could finally just wander around with her and be goofy. Just like once they’d showered and retired to her bed. The persona she’d seen upon first meeting him was completely gone.

Hailey’s ears picked up the sounds of a door opening from within the apartment followed by a loud yawn from Alicia. Murdoc apparently had heard it also and he was suddenly on high alert, almost frozen in place with the cigarette burning inches from his mouth. They both sat there, listening to the sounds of coffee being poured and another yawn before the slider flew open and a still sleep-haggard Alicia stepped out, her eyes falling straight to Murdoc. “Oh, _you’re_ here...,” she mumbled, not bothering to hide her irritation.

“Mornin’ t’ you too,” he answered gruffly, the muscles in his face tensing. “An’ I was just leavin’.”

She said nothing as she skirted past him and claimed the third seat on Hailey’s other side. Hailey uttered a sigh, shaking her head as she sipped at her coffee. The comfortable silence was gone now, replaced with a tension Hailey had never felt before. And Alicia wasn’t even bothering to hide her dislike, watching the man with narrowed blue eyes. He did his best to ignore her, drinking his coffee and draining the mug before finally rising to his feet and stalking back into the apartment. A strange smug grin spread across Alicia’s face as she relaxed into her chair. Hailey shook her head, getting up and reefing open the slider, hearing a noise of surprise come from Alicia at her back.

He was back in her room, pulling his boots onto his feet and mumbling under his breath. Dropping down onto the edge of the bed beside him, she reached out and touched his back. He paused in the midst of lacing the boots, sighing heavily. “Your mate’s a cunt, just so ya know.” Hailey could only nod in agreement, saying nothing. Some distant part of her insisted she should defend her friend, but the woman’s animosity had started to irritate the shit out of her. She certainly didn’t expect them to get along but the least the woman could do was act fucking civil. Alicia had made it clear from word go she wasn’t on board with this fling but one would think she’d at least put up some kind of front. She didn’t have to like him or like him being in the apartment, but no point in causing trouble, right? Why not just tolerate shit until he left town? He was still mumbling to himself, half growling as he finished lacing up his boots. As he sat up, he threw an arm around her shoulders and dragged her backwards onto the bed. “Not gonna stress ‘bout it,” he murmured, pulling her close. “Got ‘nough on me fuckin’ plate as it is.” One of his hands slipped beneath the hem of her shirt, blazing hot against her skin. She lay there, focusing on the feel of his hand and the sound of his heartbeat. A lengthy silence stretched between them, but it was warm and comfortable. He shifted on the bed, facing her as his other hand reached out towards her face. The expression on his face troubled her. He looked both tired and sad and this triggered something deep down inside that Hailey couldn’t explain. Weird and foreign emotions consuming her as she took in his miserable expression. Sighing softly, he leaned forward, pressing his mouth against hers gently before parting. “You should come t’ the show tomorrow night. We’ll be leaving a day or two after an’ I’d like t’ see you ‘gain before we jet off.”

“I never got tickets,” she whispered back. “Didn’t know about the show in time to get any.”

“Got ya covered, Poppet,” he said, smiling as he slowly sat up and got to his feet. Pulling her upright, he grabbed the wardrobe bag containing the gown and retrieved his wallet from her desk. As they traveled out of her room and towards the front door, she could feel Alicia’s eyes burning into her back when he paused at the door and planted another kiss on her mouth before slipping out and shutting the door behind him. Hailey remained by the door, her back to Alicia as she tried to absorb everything happening. She felt strangely happy and light and even some low key excitement over being able to attend the show. How did things go from wanting to smack the shit out of each other while they fucked to this weird kind and gentle shit? Just more nonsense to confuse her head but she realized she actually kind of liked it. Not the confusion part because she’d wrack her brains for days trying to sort all that shit out, but just realizing that she was probably seeing a side of him that few ever got to see.

Turning away from the door, Hailey froze mid-step towards the kitchen when met with Alicia’s steady gaze. The two regarded each other silently, every part of Alicia seeming to vibrate as she looked Hailey over carefully. Jason emerged from the room finally, catching a quick sight of the two of them facing off before diverting towards the kitchen. Hailey stood there, matching stares at the taller woman before finally speaking. “Help you?”

Alicia remained in place, arms folded and her gaze still steady. Hailey could almost hear the gears in her head grinding as she tried to piece together her next word or move. Jason emerged from the kitchen, a cup of coffee in his had, smiling at them both nervously. “I’m not going to have to break up a fist fight, am I?”

“No,” Alicia whispered icily. “Just gonna have a talk with my friend here about keeping herself out of trouble and staying away from people who attract nothing but.”

“No need to worry about me, Ali,” Hailey hissed back through a sneer. “You need to let it go. Leave it alone.” She didn’t have the energy to get into it with her again. Every time she turned around, Ali was there trying to point out that spending time with him was bad news. Hailey didn’t give a damn if he still used or did crazy shit, not like they were an exclusive couple. It was a fucking fling and nothing more. Couldn’t deny they’d gotten a bit closer than intended, but it didn’t change the fact that in another forty-eight hours, he’d be on a plane to his next stop and that would probably be the last she’d hear from him. Matter of fact, if he ever reached out to her again after leaving, she’d probably have a coronary from the shock.

“I’m not going to let it go.” Her voice had taken on an edge never heard before. “There is something very seriously wrong with him and that band. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something.”

“Okay, so what?” Hailey kept her voice level and expression flat. “Who cares? Maybe he’s smuggling pounds of coke or whatever. Maybe he’s running guns. Know why I don’t care? Because in two fucking days I’ll never heard from him again.” Saying this aloud made her take a brief pause, her mind sorting through the events over the last few days. Reason crashed in, kicking the sentimental shit aside and pointing out the obvious. Short term. Another day or two tops. No matter how close they managed to get, the both of them were aware that it was going to be short-lived.

“What if he gets popped for having drugs or a weapon and you’re with him?” Alicia fired back hotly. “What if he’s high next time you meet up and he hurts you?” She was trying to keep her gaze level but Hailey could see her wavering. The taller woman took a deep breath as she finally tore her gaze away with a whimper. “I’m telling you, Hailey, something is _not_ right with him or the singer. I feel it in my bones.”

“I am more than capable of handling myself,” Hailey said in a low and steady voice. “Quit acting like you need to look out for me. It’s fucking embarrassing.” When Alicia finally walked away, Hailey cast a quick glance over at the clock, realizing she only had a few minutes at the most to get ready and leave for work. Turning towards the hall, she paused at the kitchen, flashing a dark look at Alicia. “I’m gonna get ready for work. We’re gonna drop it now. No further discussion.” She knew Alicia wouldn’t hesitate to run her mouth again first chance she had but there was hope that she’d actually listen for once. They couldn’t continue this back and forth forever. Not the first time they’d had disagreements over shit, but certainly the first time their disagreement had to do with a fucking man.

She changed her clothing in fuming silence, feeling her irritation rise as she tried to button up the blouse. She couldn’t understand why Alicia was so hung up about her being involved with the Gorillaz bassist. Had it been one of the Linkin Park musicians, she probably would have shoved Hailey into their fucking arms. It was like she was trying to find any reason to not like him. What other reasons did she give besides a _bad feeling_? His age? His looks? His height? None of those things were solid enough. Not like he had twenty years on her and hey, at least they could comfortably fuck while standing. The list of things Alicia had initially given had all been superficial at best. As if grasping for straws. When all those failed, she pipes off about having a bad feeling about him and the band. But she couldn’t describe what those bad feelings were. Just something she felt.

Alicia had been Hailey’s ear for decades. Hailey knew Alicia didn’t understand her troubles but knew that it made Alicia feel important because Hailey rarely share with anyone. Stumbling across someone who not only listened but actually understood had been a complete coming-to-Jesus moment for her. Being able to talk about something from her childhood or how it shaped her motives as an adult and know that she was heard and there was an understanding because they’d lived it too. Fucking hell, she’d almost broke down the day before the costume party because she hadn’t known how to fucking handle it. No doubt that was what Alicia saw as the threat. Realizing that Hailey had connected with someone on a level that completely excluded her. Even if their time was short-lived, just knowing that someone else understood her and how she saw the world had been sobering as hell. She didn’t feel so fucking alone anymore.

Huffing loudly, she pinned her hair back with a plain clip and grabbed a pair of beat up leather loafers. Time to get moving because she was already going to be a little late if traffic gave her grief. Maybe take the make up bag so she could apply some make up on her neck and hide the marks. They were fading a little, yellowing around the edges but still glowing around her neck like a morbid collar. She took a final look in the mirror before grabbing her purse and keys as she rushed out the door. Try to get there before Chloe showed up because she was not in the mood for that woman’s mocking nasally fucking voice trailing after her and berating her for being five minutes late.

**************************************

Murdoc was vaguely aware that there were about half a dozen pair of eyes staring at him at the table. He kept the paper up as he nibbled on some toast, his eyes scanning over the headline of the Lifestyles section of the paper, seeing his own mug smiling nervously in the massive cover photo, Hailey just beside him and smiling also. The cover picture of the section was literally them and several others talking and if memory served him correctly, this was when he’d been chatting with the mayor and a few other muppets. The caption below the picture only identified him and the people he’d been talking to. If they made the paper, chances are Hailey would probably be dealing with something similar as him right now. Surely her co-workers had caught it and were giving her a ration of shit. Sighing and not bothering to hide his irritation, he finally lowered the paper, his sleepy dark eyes meeting the multitude of return gazes. “What’re you lot starin’ at?” he demanded finally.

“You,” Hewlett said as he continued to eat his breakfast, unperturbed by Murdoc’s gruff tone. He reached across his plate and tapped at his own copy of the paper, his fork landing squarely on Hailey’s image. “Who is she?”

“Why do you care, mate?” Murdoc shot back, annoyed that he was even being questioned for his decisions. “I’ve brought birds ‘long t’ parties before, you know this.”

“Stu here says you’ve been spendin’ a bit of time with her,” Hewlett said through an amused snort as he gestured his fork across the table at the singer. “Spendin’ the night in her flat an’ all. Christ, mate, you even got her a costume t’ go as a couple.”

“Dun’ you think it woulda looked a bit odd if we came in costumes that didn’t quite match up?” He scowled at the six smirking faces who were all struggling to eat their breakfast and not laugh. “B’sides, it was a rental. Took it back on my way back t’ the hotel.” He drained his cup of coffee, gesturing for the waitress to come back with the carafe. “An’ let’s not forget, mate, I didn’t want t’ go t’ the bloody party. D’ you know how many muppets kept askin’ what I thought of thins’? Why the hell didn’t you go, eh, Jamie?”

“Didn’t feel like it,” Hewlett said through a yawn. He paused a moment, scratching the back of his scruffy head before returning his focus to the plate of food in front of him. “You’re the face of Gorillaz, Murdoc. Nobody gives a toss ‘bout the collaborators or the director, they care ‘bout the musicians an’ the leader – which you’ve made quite clear is _you_.”

“Oh fuck off, Hewlett,” Murdoc grumbled into his coffee. “You’re the fuckin’ artist, yeah? You an’ Paul both! See deep shit in fuckin’ inkblots, the lot of you.” He could see Paul chuckling as he ate his food, unwilling to get in the middle of it. Good on him, Murdoc thought with a roll of his eyes. But they all needed to back off and leave him be when it came to what he did on his own time. As long as he showed up when he was needed, they could get off his fucking balls. He could have easily blown off this breakfast meeting and went back to bed for another few hours. He hated it when people tried to pry into his private life outside of the band and the shows. Even if he worked with the tossers, they didn’t need to know his every move when he wasn’t at meetings or sound checks or whatever else the record label insisted they do.

The rest of the breakfast was taken in mostly silence. They talked amongst themselves and left him out of it and he was perfectly okay with that. He knew he had things to do later on in the day, but had a chunk of free time through the whole middle part. A nap was definitely in order after breakfast so he could catch up on some shut-eye. He also needed to get the sodding costume off so he could get it cleaned and returned to the rental shop. Probably could wrangle one of the roadies or assistants to handle that chore. His mind kept bringing him back to the fact that he wasn’t feeling the same stress or pressure he’d been feeling for weeks and months on end. He felt relaxed, happy even. Initially he’d assumed it was because he’d finally gotten laid, but he’d come to realize that it was more than that. He’d found a tolerable companion in Hailey. It was a bit of a struggle to admit this, even in his own head, but the more he’d gotten to know her, the more he liked her. She was still a hard read, but she’d let some of it slip last night during the passionate session in her room. She’d unwittingly allowed herself to be exposed and this had done wonders not only to his ego but even the strange range of emotions he himself had been feeling. He’d seen desire and wanting reflected back at him and it had triggered a part of him he hadn’t acknowledged in years.

He knew he wasn’t an easy man to get along with and had spent many years perfecting being an arsehole to keep people away. Most people only tried to get close so they could take advantage of him or hurt him in some way so it became second nature to ensure they couldn’t get through the armor he’d carefully cultivated over the years. This had happened all through his childhood and onto adulthood. If anything, it got worse once he rolled into the fame. While some of the female fans were only interested in sleeping with him just to say they’d slept with him, there’d been those who sought him out in an effort to blackmail him and even a few who’d outright robbed him after fucking him senseless. Christ, he was a forty-four year old man-child with abandonment issues and a heavy distrust of women overall and many just proved to him why they couldn’t be trusted. He could count on one hand how many had been fortunate enough to get through the armor and find the lonely arsehole underneath who just wanted to not be so fucking lonely anymore. And those had all fizzled in some way or another, leaving him raw, exposed and furious with himself for allowing himself to believe he could ever have anything good. He’d done a top rate job in keeping that sad sack fucker under wraps for years and the idea that some of him was becoming more exposed scared the shit out of him.

There was an image to uphold but maintaining that image had cost him mates and partners. It had only solidified his belief that people were shit and he was undeserving of being happy. Material things helped a little bit and making millions kept him well stocked in superficial means of gratification, but he was human after all and wanted other things also. He loathed the fact that his singer could find a partner so easily and had done all he could to drive those partners away. If he had to be miserable then Dents could be miserable along with him. He’d been a right bastard in how he handled those situations, but the idiot was forgiving and didn’t seem to hold any kind of grudge over Murdoc’s arseholery. 2D didn’t think he could remain faithful to save his life and maybe he was right? The few actual relationships Murdoc had actually been in had all fizzled for different reasons and he had indeed fucked around through the course of a few of them in his younger years, but the last one had been a bit different. He’d been older then – thirty-nine, maybe forty – and able to recognize a good gig when he had it. He’d fucked around only once in the early stages of the relationship and it had been in the heat of anger over what he’d seen as baseless accusations and implications. He knew things were different at that point because the aftermath of it had left him feeling like a giant pile of shit who didn’t deserve the goodness he’d had at that point.

Sighing, he poked his fork at the plate of cold eggs and toast in front of him, losing several minutes of conversation that he wasn’t sure he gave a shit about. He rarely ever looked back on any relationship, only looking to keep himself moving forward, but she’d been a rare treat in his life. Being able to let some of that cold and hard facade to slip away, able to be himself with her and not be mocked or unmanned by her. Fucking hell, he missed her. They’d parted ways on reasonably good terms even if there’d been some tears and self loathing afterward. Though she’d never cited any of his numerous shortcomings as the reasons for their relationship ending, he couldn’t help but blame himself. And when every part of her presence had disappeared from his life, he’d given himself a mental about face, a mental kick in the arse for letting a bird get under his skin and continued back on the path best traveled. Booze, drugs and tail.

He enjoyed mucking about with Hailey but the idea that he was allowing himself to become more exposed again scared him. Seeing that same wanting and desire reflected back at him in those heated moments tangled together on her bed had struck him to his core. Recognizing that he’d wanted more of it. Even upon waking and finding her gone from the bed, he’d sought her out, wanting that comfortable presence again, even if only for a few moments. Secret delight in seeing her look at him with that same warmth he’d seen last night. Being able to forget his obligations momentarily while he warmed himself with good coffee, a great view and someone who actually wanted him there and enjoyed his presence.

Another voice nagged at him and as much as he tried to shut it down, it started pointing out the obvious. Would she be so welcoming of his presence if she knew what was really happening behind the scenes? Would she still want him knowing that being seen with him could potentially put her in danger? Would she still enjoy his company knowing he’d been holding Stu prisoner and beating him senseless when the sodding bastard attempted to escape? This was why he couldn’t entertain any ideas regarding whatever closeness they might have. She would look at him with fear and disgust. She would never want to see his face again. And this realization brought an ache deep down. There was so much potential here but nobody in their right mind would stick it out with someone who spent their life fucking over anyone they could. Not to mention the simple fact that as much as he liked her, it was stupid to think there was anything deeper there after only knowing each other mere days. Even if there was something that could grow, even if she could look past the bastard things he’d been doing, what good would it do? He’d soon have to leave anyway. Any contact maintained would diminish over time and they’d move on.

It took a long moment before he realized he was alone at the table, still poking at his cold breakfast. Paul, Jamie, Cass, Dents and even that tosser, Albarn, had shot off to do whatever. Appetite gone, he slowly rose to his feet and trudged out of the restaurant and towards the lifts. A few people paused to take a good look at him as he stepped into the open lift and hit the button to close the door behind him. If people wanted pictures and autographs, they’d have to wait a while because he wasn’t too interested in socializing at the moment. Granted, the looks he’d caught were far from those of the usual star-struck fans. They’d been looking at him as if he were some homeless mug sneaking into the hotel. Probably looked like hell. Sure as Hades felt like it. He was still in that sodding Halloween costume, which was now unkempt and wrinkled, his hair was sticking up in various places and he had enough baggage under his eyes to book a month long holiday. He scowled at his reflection in the doors as the lift carried him up to his suite. Get the costume off and crash it out. Maybe he’d feel more himself after a good long fucking nap.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

She knew the sound of the step before the woman made her presence known in the doorway. Looking up from the stack of leave slips and financials, Hailey locked eyes with Chloe Turner as the woman leaned into the doorway to Hailey’s office, holding a copy of the local paper in her manicured hands. She was a slim and petite woman with close cropped red hair and icy blue eyes. Beautiful as she was, everything about her inside was ugly as fuck and it was one of a million different reasons Hailey despised the bitch. She was a stuck up rich bitch whose daddy bankrolled her entire existence and made everyone else around her fucking miserable and both she and Hailey had been going rounds for years. Since fucking college. Using every chance she had to rub it in her face that she was so much better than Hailey. There was some small solace in the fact that Hailey had gotten the job through her own hard work shortly out of college and worked as part of the payroll and human resources team while Chloe had come into the scene a few years later and was still only a lowly secretary. You’d never know that with how she cruised around the place as if she were Lord and Ruler of them all. Even now, leaning in the doorway to Hailey’s office, her front desk duties abandoned so she could stand there and wave the paper around. “So is fucking pseudo-celebrities your new hobby, gutter-rat?” Still smirking at Hailey, she gestured towards the picture on the Lifestyles section. “Isn’t that the ugly little fucker you were seen dry humping at Curry’s?”

Rolling her eyes, Hailey gave a small shrug as she attempted to put her focus back on the leave slips she’d been working on. Normally she’d be up for a good verbal spar but had too much work to do and didn’t want to find herself putting a few hours in this weekend just to get caught up. The whole office had been buzzing about the morning’s discovery in the paper, Hailey having no clue until several co-workers had ambushed her at the elevators. _Was that really her __in the picture__? When did she meet him?_ She’d brushed them away, unwilling to answer their questions as she stalked towards her office space. Her supervisor, Gina, had even stopped in with a copy of the paper to have a chuckle at Hailey’s annoyed expression and earning herself Hailey’s smirk and middle finger. At least the two of them managed to get along pretty good and while Hailey didn’t necessarily consider Gina a friend, there was still a mutual respect and friendliness between them that Chloe hated. Hailey hated being petty about it, but seeing that simply _existing_ irritated Chloe, might as well have fun with it!

“Hey, gutter-rat, are you deaf?” Chloe spat, clearly bristling at being ignored. “I asked you a question. The polite thing to do is to answer.”

Hailey’s eyes surfaced from her paperwork. “Not deaf at all, Turner. Just trying to get some work done. You know, _work_? That thing you never do around here.”

Scoffing, Chloe gestured at the paper again, her finger tapping at Murdoc’s image. “I suppose it would be stupid to ask who you fucked to get into that party?”

“Guess it would be a stupid question,” Hailey remarked in a curt voice. “Maybe the question really should be who did_ you _fuck that made you believe you would get in?” When another familiar step echoed from the hallway to her right, Hailey flashed a cold smile in Chloe’s direction. “Might want to scuttle off, little chickie, before the boss catches you loafing around.”

Chloe vanished from the doorway with a brisk walk down the hall towards the front of the office. The incoming footsteps revealed themselves to be one of the partners with his secretary and Hailey watched as they rounded the corner and disappeared down another hall. She’d known it wasn’t Gina, but Chloe didn’t know this and was quick to make her exit, which Hailey was grateful for. The partners themselves were too fucking busy to bother themselves with how the rest of the staff handled themselves in the office, leaving reprimands and whatever else to Gina and her second in command, a portly little balding man named Harold. And nobody liked Harold because was a condescending fucker who reeked of onions and sweaty gym shoes. He also had a massive hard on for Chloe and she used it to her full advantage. He’d tried to write up Hailey a few times over the years over imagined transgressions Chloe had fabricated or outright provoked and Gina had always gone back through to have the written reprimands removed and destroyed. Holy hell, office drama never failed to disappoint. On the less busy days, the day to day comings and goings through the office provided hours of peak people watching fodder from the comfort of her narrow office.

Her own copy of the paper lay on her desk and she shuffled through it to find the section that featured the article about the party accompanied by their picture. She could admit that she’d been a be put off being confronted by her own image, but as she looked the photo over again, couldn’t help but smile. It was a great memory to hold onto, as far as she was concerned. She grabbed her scissors and carefully cut the large image from the paper and tucked it away into her purse. She even considered making a copy of it and taping it up on the side window by her office door just to get under Chloe’s skin. Everyone knew Chloe had been trying like hell to get into that party and there was some small secret joy on Hailey’s part that she’d just sort of stumbled into an invite. A malicious smile spread across her face as she started to seriously consider taping a copy of the pic up by the door with a sharpie note: **ME, NOT YOU. SUCK ON A TIT**.

Ugh, can’t be too petty. Becomes too obvious. She had to keep herself in check. They weren’t in college anymore. They’d gotten in plenty of licks through their twenties. The last decade had been a testament of self control on Hailey’s part, smiling at the woman as she made her below the belt jabs in an effort to get Hailey to snap first. The problem was that Hailey had heard it all and seen it all so the insults and jabs really didn’t do more than earn Chloe a few choice remarks back and maybe a roll of the eyes. The problem was that Chloe continued to do what she could to try to get Hailey to react enough to get canned. And Hailey never gave her the satisfaction. Not even when they ran into each other at the local corporate watering hole. Hailey simply stuck with Ali and Jason or just to herself and ignored the woman’s remarks. Sometimes the bartender would step in and let Chloe know he wasn’t opposed to having her removed and banned completely if she didn’t knock it off. Chloe did it because she thought she was better than Hailey and used every chance she had to point this out. She made Hailey’s life hell because she got her fucking rocks off doing it. She didn’t want Hailey’s job and she wasn’t jealous of Hailey’s life, she just simply hated Hailey because she saw her as a lesser lifeform who had no place in her world.

The only reason she hadn’t been sacked was because her precious daddy was part of the board. He was a little more reasonable than Chloe in the fact that he didn’t flip out over the constant complaints about his daughter and sometimes would bring her to his office to speak with her. Yet he seemed mostly blind of the fact that he had clearly raised a bitter and entitled woman who had the mentality of a fucking cheerleader whose mom was head of the PTA. Emotionally stunted, vicious, unable to take any constructive criticism and acted as if she ran the joint. Hailey had watched her befriend people only to stab them in the back once she got her use from them. There were even a small circle of lackeys she kept around to do most of her dirty work and there was a pretty high turnover in that group because she’d cost several their jobs. Hailey could only thank her lucky stars they never knew one another in high school because no doubt Hailey would have snapped and beat the bitch within an inch of her life.

Hailey eventually returned her focus back to the stack of paperwork she’d been working on before the interruption, logging in leave slips and time cards into the computer. The ad agency was one of the bigger firms in the city with some relatively high end clientele. Located in the top three floors of a twenty-story building that was a skyscraper in another life before the taller ones moved in. Her narrow office, nice as it was, provided her with only a view of some weird construction and a few cranes on the bay so she rarely bothered looking out the window much because it was too fucking dreary. Seattle was always in a state of construction, it seemed. But at least she had an office, right?

Busy with her paperwork, the hours ticked away. First break came and went, a few more people approached her and asked about the photo. Additional people were more forward with their questions, asking if the rumors were true regarding how he was in bed, which led to her gently reminding them some of the general office rules of conduct and what was appropriate conversation and not appropriate. A few needed to be reminded this in much firmer tones. One or two found themselves on her bad side really quick, dragging them to her office with paperwork out for a formal write-up and her own curt warnings that regardless of Murdoc’s celebrity status, loudly speculating about what it was like for her and the man having sex was not appropriate conversation and the next time she heard their names together in a sentence, she’d have the write ups fashioned in record time.

The whole morning shot by and soon it was nearing one in the afternoon. Hungry and tired from the early morning craziness, she grabbed her lunch bag and ventured towards the cafeteria located at the far side of the office floor. One small bonus was that the agency kept a small cafe located within the cafeteria so you didn’t have to go far for a hot meal if you wanted something other than what you packed. Maybe she’d pick up a hot sandwich this time instead of the cup of instant noodles she’d packed in a rush. She caught some glances and outright stares as she made her brisk walk towards the eating area, finally reaching the double doors and claiming a seat at a far table. All eyes were on her, particular the table at the center of the room which was used by Chloe and her cronies. Doing her best to ignore them, Hailey rummaged through her lunch bag and pulled out some fruit to start with. Still feeling stares on her back and her agitation rising, she finally looked up from her food to meet the numerous eyes. “If one more person asks me a damned thing about him or last night, I will personally see that you’re canned. Capeche?”

Nearly everyone returned their attentions to their food with only Chloe and her lackeys still staring and smirking at her. Chloe smirked as she ate her food, finally setting her sandwich aside. “Just admit that you love being his little groupie whore.” When Hailey looked up from her food with a tense mouth, the smirk turned into a full smile, the laugh just barely escaping. “I mean, we all knew you were indiscriminate with who you fucked, but no idea you could scrape the bottom of the barrel with such an ugly fucker whose one step closer to being a washed up has been.”

“I’m not joking, Turner,” Hailey warned coldly.

“Neither am I,” she chirped back with a smug smile. “We all know you whore around. Just shocked that you’d sink so low to fuck something so fucking ugly. Suppose it could be worse....could’ve been the backup musicians.” When Hailey rose from the table, she erupted into a fit of giggles as she got to her feet also. “We gonna have an old school throw down, gutter-rat? Re-live your charity college years?”

“I’m down with that, Turner,” Hailey growled. “Let’s not forget who kicked whose ass back then!” She thought she saw a flicker of hesitation in Chloe’s face. The woman had to remember the few times they’d scrapped in college, because Chloe had found herself on the business end of Hailey’s fists every single time.

“Let’s go, whore,” Chloe hissed, rounding the table and walking towards her. Several people had jumped to their feet, some seeming to debate over whether or not they should intervene. The red-head stopped several feet from Hailey, hands on her hips. “You sure are defensive about hanging out with that creep. Embarrassed?”

“Not at all.” Hailey remained planted by her table, keeping her voice as level as she could. She knew Chloe’s game and had to keep herself in check. She knew she was letting her anger get the better of her and the bitch would look for any way to get a rise so Hailey would react. Huffing loudly, she shook her head. “You keep on doing what you’re doing, Chloe, and not even your daddy will be able to save your hide from a pink slip and the security walk of shame.”

Though there was little doubt she was letting the words sink in, Chloe merely chuckled as she inched closer to Hailey, the distance between them reduced to a few feet. “So is it true the man is hung, gutter-rat? Was fucking him like re-living your days in foster care when you were getting passed around as the foster dads’ little fuck toy?”

Holy fuck, she was starting to see red, everyone around her vanishing into a blur with tunnel vision pin pointed directly at the red-headed bitch with the mocking smile. Taking a few deliberate breaths, Hailey kept her focus on Chloe’s smirking face. She knew the woman was seeking any avenue she could to get Hailey to snap. Christ help her, it was working. “Thin ice, Turner,” she warned, eyes narrowed to slits. “You’re skating on _thin fucking ice_.”

When Chloe erupted into a menacing laugh, she reached up and jabbed Hailey in the chest. “I dare you to try something, gutter-rat.” When she reached up to make another jab, Hailey snatched her wrist and held firm, eyes boring down into her. Sneering, Chloe tugged at her wrist, the smile melting from her face as Hailey clamped down tighter. “You better let go of me, Wilson,” Chloe hissed.

Hailey remained frozen in place, merely glaring at her as she kept her grip on the woman’s wrist as tight as she dared. The entire cafeteria had fallen dead silent, all eyes on them. Even Chloe’s little band of lackeys remained back. Maybe bets were being taken? When Chloe brought up her other hand and gave Hailey a hard push, Hailey’s free arm shot out with lightning speed, her fist connecting hard into Chloe’s throat. It was only then did she release her grip on Chloe’s wrist, the red-head staggering back and gagging. The spectators surged inward, still seemingly unsure of how to handle the situation.

Chloe took a few hacking breaths, still stumbling around as her lackeys continued to flutter around her not knowing what to do. She looked up and glared at Hailey with watering eyes, her face a brilliant shade of red as her voice came out in a strange croak. “You’re dead, Wilson!” She lunged forward with a strangled snarl, stopped dead in her tracks by her lackeys and the spectators, who’d finally seemed to have woken up and acted. A few were even pushing Hailey back, guiding her backwards and away from the injured woman. Chloe was still wheezing, struggling to take in lung-fulls of air, flashing murderous looks in Hailey’s direction. “I’ll make sure you get fired for this, you fucking low-life bitch!”

Hailey closed her eyes and allowed the hands that held her to pull her back. Maybe she really did cost herself her job. Fucking hell, she’d gotten so fucking angry though. Even if Chloe had antagonized it, she knew better than to fucking react and lash out. Letting the hands guide her to another table away from her partially eaten food, she let out a deep sigh and shook her head. From somewhere within the throng of people surrounding her, she overheard someone mentioning that Chloe had antagonized the fight and touched Hailey first. It didn’t matter how it started, it only mattered that it had gotten physical and they’d both get canned over this. She kept her eyes closed, feeling her agitation vibrate through her. Adrenaline finally coming down, everything feeling weak and even a little woozy. Gina’s voice was suddenly at her ear with the distant feel of the woman’s hands on her shoulders. “Hey, let’s get you somewhere to collect yourself. I’ll talk to the partners.”

The next half hour seemed to drag slowly by. Hailey was only vaguely conscious of the fact that she was being led back to her office by Gina. She could hear the front desk girl, Stacy saying something to Gina as they passed through the halls and copy rooms towards the little office Hailey called home for nine hours a day. Once in her chair, Hailey let out a shaky breath, feeling every part of her trembling. Though Gina continued to assure her that she’d handle the situation, Hailey couldn’t help but feel the low grade anxiety and fear of facing possible unemployment. Nobody would even consider hiring her if word got around she’d throat punched a bitch during an altercation. Wouldn’t matter who started it or who touched who first, all people would care about was the fact that Hailey had reacted and hurt someone.

Watching as Gina darted in and out of the office to deal with the aftermath of the lunchtime scuffle, Hailey let out a heavy sigh and rested her head into folded arms on her desk. She could hear Chloe barking hoarsely from somewhere that she’d have Hailey’s hide and she’d make sure the gutter-rat would never find work again. This was followed by Gina’s voice, firm yet curt. “Need I remind you who started that altercation, Miss Turner? There were about a dozen witnesses who said you not only antagonized it, you put your hands on her first. If Miss Wilson faces termination over this, I’ll make sure you join her. And I’ll add to this by making sure she gets glowing reviews should anyone call for references while I’ll be sure they all know what a mean, petty and antagonistic little troll you are.” Hailey smiled in the darkness of her folded arms, hearing Chloe continue to sputter on about harassment, lawsuits and whatever else she could. Even her circle of jackals were chiming in.

Hailey peered up from her arms to watch what she could from the safety of her tangled hair. Coming from the front lobby area, the front desk girl Stacy, was briskly walking down the hall and towards Gina’s office, where both her and Chloe could still be heard going back and forth. Some more hubbub was coming from within the office, some hanging out of their own office spaces to peer down at Hailey. Lifting her head slowly, she caught sight of both Gina and Stacy rushing back to the front lobby. People were still whispering, a few looking in her direction. She imagined word of the fight probably caught on quicker than wildfire. Not much of a fight, really, she thought with a morbid smile.

Gina emerged through the doors from the lobby, a shorter figure following just behind her. It took Hailey a long moment to realize she was seeing Murdoc. He casually looked around the office before catching sight of her at the end of the hall, cracking a smile at her. Once they were both in the office with Hailey, Gina closed the door behind her. “I’ll do as much damage control as I can, Hailey,” she said softly. “Go ahead and take the rest of the day off. Matter of fact, just take the rest of the week. I’ll handle the partners and Turner’s dad. He won’t be able to cover for this, especially with about a dozen witnesses saying she started it.”

****************************************************

It had taken Murdoc a bit of time in finding the office building because there was no indicators of any kind on the outside that it housed the ad agency Hailey worked for. She never questioned how he found it, let alone how he knew where she worked seeing she’d never said the name aloud. Probably just give a vague lie about how she’d told him during their little coffee and cobbler chat a few nights ago. He’d actually caught sight of her little badge card laying near her purse on her desk earlier in the morning just before he’d left her place. A plain key card of some kind with a clearly aged photo of her along with her name, the name of the agency along with the floor location. After his breakfast with the group, he’d clocked a few hours of napping in and woke feeling a bit more human, but also famished. It was then and there he’d decided he would pay her a visit at the office and see about snagging a bite to eat somewhere. Upon making this decision, he gave firm directions to the Cyborg to keep a close eye on the singer –but not before barging into the blue-haired twat’s room just to give him a shake and having a good laugh over the lanky bastard’s squawked yelp at being interrupted in the shower. Murdoc had taken it further by turning on the tap and flushing the toilet several times before running out of the room in tears from laughing so hard. Yes, he was definitely feeling himself! From there, he'd hit up the lobby and front desk chap to find out where the hell this ad agency was, only remembering a partial name. Luckily, the weedy little fucker knew what he was asking about and had been able to give him half arsed decent directions along with the correct name of the agency, which ended up being three or four blocks away from the backside of the hotel.

He’d arrived in the midst of some chaos apparently, finding out that Hailey had gotten into some kind of altercation with another co-worker which ended when Hailey had throat-punched the cunt. So she was a scrapper, eh? He’d had his share of scraps, especially growing up in reeking Stoke where everyone loved to push around the short kid. Luckily, as he got older, he found that waging war with words often got better results. Hit the right kind of nerves and you could reduce the most civilized of men to grunting knuckle dragging apes. It didn’t always spare him the occasional beat-down he got from his father, older brother or their Neanderthal mates, but it sometimes worked well enough to make them take pause and give him enough time to run. Granted, he wasn’t immune to his temper sometimes getting the better of him and he’d lashed out often through the years if the right buttons got pushed. Wonder what kind of buttons got pushed on Hailey for her to throat punch a bitch in the office cafeteria in front of a dozen different people?

Meh, the fight clearly worked in their favor. Lucky day for them both. She was now free the rest of the day and even through the rest of the week. He’d get her all to himself! Unable to help himself, he had practically swaggered out of that office with his arm around her, catching sight of numerous looks of awe as they left the office and hit the lift. As the lift carried them down, he kept casting curious glances at her. For the most part, she seemed mostly unconcerned that she’d probably cost herself her job. She didn’t say much regarding what had triggered the fight, only that it was with some bird she’d had troubles with for years. Part of him wondered if the scuffled had fired her up in any way because if he’d stumbled into her office in time to see her take a cunt down a notch, he’d probably have dragged her to her office and slammed the door behind him in his rush to get her bent over her desk and buried inside of her. She’d clearly shown who the alpha was in the office and just the idea of knowing she wouldn’t hesitate to put someone in their place fired up all kinds of tingles and warmth down south.

Shoving the lewder thoughts aside, he offered her a cigarette as they stepped out onto the busy sidewalk. His offer of lunch was met with a suggestion of a little Asian place around the corner. “Dun’ give a toss where it comes from,” he said with a smile, lighting both their smokes. “So long as it’s edible, love.” A few people were looking at them curiously as they walked away from the building, but were quick to get back on their way when he shot them a look or two. Yes, he was well aware they recognized him. No, do not approach. Do not pet. Creature will bite.

Hailey led him into an area that was full of much lower buildings, most of them not concrete and steel but wood slats and even brick. Two to five stories at best versus the towering skyscrapers that surrounded them. Tucked away between a couple of dark, nondescript shops was a little Asian restaurant. Catching sight of the signage, the name brought a juvenile ripple of laughter from him as he followed her inside. _“Fuck It?” _

“No, _Phuket_.” She erupted into a giggle as the waitress led them to a nice little table located in a back corner and mostly out of sight from the front entrance. “Not gonna lie, I laugh at it every time.”

Getting himself comfortable in the partially cushioned chair, he watched as she got herself settled across from him. The waitress lingered long enough to drop off menus and two glasses of water before darting off to help another table. Murdoc looked around the dimly lit restaurant carefully, catching sight of other patrons in suits and skirt outfits. Must be a popular place with the corporate arseholes, he thought to himself. Here he was in an aged The Clash t-shirt, his leather jacket and an old worn out pair of jeans with the motorcycle boots, surrounded by all these tossers in three piece suits and pant suits. He returned his attention to Hailey, who had opened up her menu and was browsing for food. Opting to follow suit, he opened up his own menu, immediately spotting numerous familiar dishes he’d ordered plenty of times from a little take-away joint in the village when he and the band had lived at Kong. Some beef Yakisoba sounded pretty fucking good right about now. And to his greater delight, this place appeared to have a much larger selection of tipple and he was quick to flag down the waitress and order them both a couple of strong drinks. He caught a raised eyebrow from the eyes that were now staring at him from above the menu, but she said nothing.

“So...err...what do you do at that office?” he asked as the waitress returned with their drinks. “It’s an ad agency...you do adverts?”

“Not me,” she said, her eyes still on the menu. “I’m part of payroll.” Her eyes surfaced to meet his as she closed the menu and set it aside. “I’m essentially in charge of making sure they get paid.”

He grunted an acknowledgment, taking a drink from the glass and pursing his lips. Oh this was quite good. Could never go wrong with a good tequila. So she was a number runner, eh? Probably dull as hell. “Not an ad agent then? Reckon that makes a bit more cash than preparing their paychecks, yeah?”

“Considerably more,” she laughed as she drained her glass. “But I’m not enough of a people person to do any of that. I like being left alone in my office.”

“_Not a people person_?” He guffawed loudly, draining back his glass also. “Christ, Poppet, coulda fooled me. You were quite the _people person_ when we first met.” He laughed even harder when she started to laugh. Leaning into the table, he dropped his voice to a whisper. “I ‘sume givin’ some bitch her desserts probably dun’ help in seekin’ that higher position, eh?”

Still laughing, she shook her head. “She’s just one of the secretaries. Only has her job because of her father. I am her superior as far as rank and even seniority seeing I’ve been there two years longer.” The smile vanished from her face, eyes suddenly distant. “Fuck, if I even have a job to go back to. They could fire me for that.”

“Bah, dun’ worry ‘bout it,” he assured her, covering her hand briefly. “Dun’ know what started it, but I imagine the little cunt deserved it.” He was impressed. Most office jockeys try to avoid scuffles any way possible but from the sounds of things, she’d just said fuck it and let the other bird know who’s boss.

“We’ve know each other for years.” She paused when the waitress appeared again to take their orders before running off again with the little slip. Sighing, Hailey shook her head. “She said a few very private things about me in front of people after being warned to leave it alone.”

He said nothing initially, giving a small nod to indicate he was listening. So this person knew her enough to pick at her a bit? She did say they’d known each other for some years. Could learn a lot about a person if given enough time, even if they never share a thing. More tequila appeared in front of them and he was quick to claim his glass and drain half in one swallow. “Was it about being at the costume party the other night?”

“That...and a few things about when I was a kid.” She frowned as she took a drink. “But it wasn’t just that, really. She kept jabbing and pushing me. I finally had enough and just reacted...punched her in the throat.” She paused briefly, draining the rest of her glass. “You think she’d learn. This isn’t the first time we’ve gotten physical. Got in a few scuffles when we were in college. I always kicked her fucking ass.”

He uttered another noise of acknowledgment, taking in some of this new information carefully. She was a fighter and he couldn’t help but smile briefly in admiration. He couldn’t imagine working with somebody he loathed on a day to day basis. Even if Stu irritated the shit out of him on a good day, he could at least say he did sometimes find the dullard amusing. Not to mention, he didn’t hate the man. Probably couldn’t say Stu felt the same, especially under the current circumstances, but he’d get over it in a few years. Hailey not only went to University with this cunt, she was stuck working side by side with them and having to put up with Satan knows how much bullshit. “Does she normally take jabs at you?”

“Every fucking chance she has!” Hailey hissed in exasperation. “Every chance! I usually don’t let it get to me because most of the time just walking away and ignoring her is enough to set her off, but everyone had been talking about that party....my picture was in the paper with you...and she just started going and going.” Sighing, she glanced at her glass and drained what remained. “Sorry, I’m rattling your ear off. You probably don’t want to hear about this crap.”

He shrugged, catching sight of the waitress with their food. Looked like she also had noticed their dwindling drinks because there were fresh glasses on the tray. “I’ve dealt with me own fair share of arseholes, Poppet. You can only put up with so much.” Smiling at the plate of food being presented before him, he wielded a pair of chopsticks and dove into the noodle dish. Across from him, Hailey picked up a fork and went to work on her food, what appeared to be some simple chicken dish.

They ate their food in silence, accompanied only by the faint clink of her fork on the plate and the din of voices from within the restaurant. That same comfortable silence could be felt and he couldn’t help but smile as he ate his lunch. He could get used to this. It was bloody peaceful, that’s what it was. Being able to eat their food without feeling the need to squeeze in small talk of any kind. The food was pretty fucking good, too. He was a sucker for spicy food and his tastes generally leaned towards foods that could blister a layer of skin from your mouth. The Yakisoba didn’t disappoint. At some point, he realized Hailey was looking at him, but as soon as his eyes surfaced from his plate, she dropped her gaze back to her food. Frowning, he looked down at himself and then his plate, wondering if he’d spilt. She let out a small chuckle and reached out, swiping at his cheek. “Got some sauce.”

“Dare you t’ try it,” he rumbled playfully. “It will scorch that lil’ virgin mouth of yours.”

“Virgin mouth?” She erupted into a loud cackle as she licked the sauce from her finger. “Haven’t heard that one before.” She paused briefly, her brow twitching. Her mouth went tight and the muscles in her face tensed. Grinning deviously, he continued to stare back at her, waiting for that moment when the heat really hit. Her mouth opened quickly, taking in a whistling rush of air before she licked the rest of the sauce from her finger, winking at him as she let her tongue linger over her fingertip. “Did you order an eight or a nine?”

“Ten.” He wiped at his cheek, trying to keep his expression neutral even if he was solidly impressed. Dents couldn’t handle spicy food. Noodle – there was an ache in his chest just thinking about her – never had a taste for it but she’d certainly tried to compete with him when it came to the different dishes he’d ordered. He shook the thoughts away quickly, returning his focus back to his plate. He’d been successful at keeping thoughts of Noodle away for a while. Couldn’t think about. Thinking about her made him feel like shit. Sometimes he couldn’t even look at the Cyborg because of this. It was partially made using her DNA, its ability to play guitar programmed in from videos of her as well as audio clips, a voice box – which wasn’t currently working – based off recordings of her voice from interviews. Completely created in her image as he remembered her last. There were times when he did sometimes forget it wasn’t her, making a joke or some of his quacking noises, things he’d done in the past that often got Noodle to laugh, only to be greeted with cold silence and two dead and glassy green eyes staring at him.

A shudder rippled up his spine. Pausing at his food, he took a quick breath and shoved all the negative thoughts away. He just wanted to focus on this nice little lunch with this interesting woman he was growing more and more fond of. He had to remind himself he couldn’t let himself get too deep with her because he would be gone soon. They’d have their fun, have some epic memories and then that would be it. He’d move on to the next line up of stops they had before returning back to Point Nemo. She’d move on with her life and maybe even forget about him in a couple of short years. Sure, they could keep in touch through email or whatever else, but given their distance apart, it would only be a matter of time before that contact dwindled to nothing. He frowned briefly, realizing he was letting more negative thoughts invade. He needed to just focus on the present. Day by day. Over-thinking all his conflicting thoughts and emotions would just drive him mad.

From his pocket, he could feel the low vibration of the phone. Pulling the phone out, he glanced at the screen, catching a message from Albarn. _** Need you lot at the arena in 90 mins.**_ Groaning internally, he tapped out a quick response letting him know that he’d be there and to quit harping. Everyone knew they had to be there so there was no point in continuing to nag them about it. The sound checks and practice sessions were a necessary evil if they wanted to be sure they could play without a hitch and also be sure they would have a good feel for the stage they’re performing on. It had become necessary since Dents had tumbled off stage at least twice during a few of their early stops. With the concert now a little over twenty-four hours away, the musicians and the record label would be dominating a great deal of his time. He also had to pop open Cyborg and make sure its wires and CPU were still functioning properly. They’d been fortunate for days now and he wasn’t about to let his guard down and get too cocky when it came to that bucket of bolts. He’d already put too much trust in it to begin with.

He finished his food first, shoving his plate aside and letting out a small groan of contentment as he leaned back into his seat. Hailey was near-done, finally pushing her own plate away and drinking the water glass that had remained mostly untouched through their meal. Though there was some bickering over who would pay the bill or whether or not they’d divide it, he won out and soon they were back out on the sidewalk wondering where else they could venture off to. He still had a good hour to go before being needed at the arena. His bass was already there and he’d need nothing else from the hotel, so he could easily pick up a cab to get over there once it was time. Hailey was a little buzzed after draining a few too many tequila drinks but insisted a walk, some coffee and a few hours to let it burn off would work well enough for her to pick up her car later. They ended up wandering through the historic shops, the roads a lot more narrow than some of the massive four and five lane main roads most of downtown seemed to have. They were in an area that was part of the original downtown, apparently.

They killed his last forty-five minutes of free time wandering into various boutiques and inspecting their wares. A hat shop provided a good fifteen minutes of entertainment as they tried on different hats, laughing at how ridiculous they looked. He’d even taken a few selfies of the two of them in their ridiculous hats, catching the ire of the shopkeeper who eventually started barking at them to get out if they weren’t planning on buying anything. Another shop was full of bongs and pipes and he’d had to do a double take upon realizing he’d stumbled into a head shop. These places never lasted long back home. Always shut down. “The trick is referring to them as tobacco pipes,” Hailey said. “As long as you do not say they’re used for pot, you’re good.” He got a good chuckle as she picked up a small bong and paid for it. A cursory check of his phone indicated that his time was starting to run short so they lingered on the sidewalk a bit as they said their goodbyes. He would be a bit too busy tonight and tomorrow but he would definitely see her after the show tomorrow night. Make the most of what was going to be their last night together.

He caught a small flicker of sadness in her face as he slipped into the cab and directed the driver to get him to the Key Arena. She hid it well, smiling quickly and giving a small wave as the cab pulled away from the curb. Sighing, he waved back and settled himself into the seat. He reminded himself again that their time would be brief and he had to accept this. No point mulling over it more than necessary because all it did was make him very fucking aware of how lonely he’d been. Not to mention, he had to put his focus into the practice session that was now mere minutes away.

Worry seeped in at the thought of being on stage and having 2D freak out and run or, Satan help him, the Cyborg going on the fritz and hurting someone. Though 2D had made no efforts to run since some of their shows in the Midwest, the Cyborg had gone on the fritz just one too many times. Maybe after the show, he’d have it decommissioned. Probably the best course of action. He knew some of the musicians had started to become suspicious no matter how many times he tried to shakily explain that it was all part of the gimmick and everyone was simply playing a part. The Cyborg had pulled weapons on people several times through the course of the tour. One of the back-up singers had completely dropped out after having the business end of a pistol rammed into her face. Though they’d all tried to convince her to stay, it had been futile. At least she wasn’t calling the police, right? He scrubbed his hands across his face with a groan. Time to get this shit show up and running, he thought grimly as the cab deposited him on the sidewalk just outside the entrance to the arena. He could already see some of the roadies and assistants running in and out one of the side entrances. Taking a breath, he willed himself forward, catching sight of Cass and Paul lingering several yards away smoking cigarettes. Chat them up a bit and see how things are going. Make sure nothing weird happened while he’d been gone.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

It was only going to be a matter of time before that monstrosity went on the fritz and hurt someone. 2D frowned as he sang into the microphone in front of him, his eyes on the Cyborg as it played Noodle’s guitar. He hated that expressionless face. Hated that it was touching Noodle’s beloved Gibson. He just hated every fucking thing about it. He still couldn’t wrap his mind around how the hell Murdoc had even built the thing. He would never have guessed the man was smart enough for such a feat, but the proof of this was literally standing several feet behind him. It stood stock still, playing without feeling, its expression still that same flat look with eyes that reflected nothing. Cold and dead eyes that sent chills down the singer’s spine.

What still continued to baffle him was how the other musicians hadn’t picked up that something was very very fucking wrong with the whole scene. Murdoc had continued to insist it was all a gimmick and their guitarist was merely playing a role, but why not question the fact that it never said a word, always had the same dead expression on its face, was never seen eating or drinking anything and was never fucking seen outside of sound checks, practice sessions and the shows themselves? Gimmick or not, wouldn’t you start to question things if a person playing a role took the role to heart? What did Murdoc call it – _method act__ing__?_ A specific acting style where one literally eats, drinks and sleeps the role they play and refuse to drop said role even off the clock. He couldn’t imagine how the other musicians bought this load of bullocks, but if they were suspicious in any way, they certainly weren’t voicing it out loud. Cass continued to play the drums, Mick and Paul continued to play their guitars, the singers continued to do their back up vocals and everyone just carried on. Ignorance was apparently fucking bliss.

Murdoc had arrived at the arena smelling of booze and a little buzzed. He’d taken off again after barging into the singer’s room to torment him. 2D reasoned at least it wasn’t his usual teasing, which often usually involved getting his arse kicked by the bassist, but turning on the tap and flushing the bog several times over just to turn his shower water into fucking ice wasn’t exactly fun either. Regardless, 2D had been grateful that the man appeared to be in reasonably good spirits and had been able to laugh a bit about it long after the bassist had vanished from the hotel. When Murdoc’s main source of entertainment was being an insufferable dick to him or smacking him around, having the man pull more simple and safe juvenile pranks was actually not too bad. Not to mention, he had arrived on time for sound check and was able to go over a few other technical issues that he’d been discussing with both Jamie Hewlett and Damon Albarn. The singer did overhear Albarn complain loudly about Murdoc’s slightly inebriated state but didn’t really harp on the issue and allowed Murdoc to get himself together so he could play. Did Damon forget that Murdoc could play sober, high or even drunk and not miss a beat? No idea how he fucking did it, but he could and that was all the mattered, really.

Bringing the song to an end, 2D backed away from the microphone and caught sight of Murdoc pulling the strap of his bass over his head so he could set it aside. The other musicians exited, leaving just 2D, Murdoc and Cyborg on stage. Pulling a battered pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket, Murdoc made a noise before tossing one towards the singer. 2D looked around fretfully, remembering the arena staff constantly reminding them that they couldn’t smoke in the venue. Murdoc clearly didn’t give a toss, lighting his own as he sat himself down on one of the larger amps. 2D lit his cautiously, expecting one of the arena staff to come out of nowhere and snapping at them for the millionth time about how the arena was no smoking. The Cyborg merely stood there, still holding the Gibson and not moving a muscle. “Oi, Robo-Doodle,” Murdoc barked gruffly, “go an’ set that bloody thin’ down an’ find a place t’ stand....out of our sight.” The android moved stiffly down the stage to set the Gibson down and stood beside it, continuing to stare ahead, unmoving.

They smoked their cigarettes in silence. 2D kept looking out at the arena, in awe at how big it looked. It was certainly not one of the biggest venues they’d played at, but still impressive all the same. He had no idea if the show was a sold out one or not. They didn’t always get word of these things, especially when third party ticket sales sites and scalpers loved snatching up loads of good seats to sell for three times the price. It had been one of those uphill battles one would never win because there would always be something out to take advantage of people. He could remember reading on fan forums about this, even back in 2005 and 2006 when they’d been doing the Demon Detour. Every time you were able to shut down one of those scalper sites, three more seemed to emerge in its place. With each album release, a new generation of fans joined in and many weren’t even old enough to hold a job, much less have access to the kind of scratch needed to buy tickets for a concert this day and age. Hard to drop even a hundred note on a seat when your parents filled your head with tales of seeing rock and roll greats and getting front row, all for twenty bucks. There were days when he pondered over buying a load of tickets to simply give away to random young fans, but the record executives and Albarn always discouraged it. Never really could explain why it was a bad idea. Murdoc said it was because he was too stupid to identify kids who would appreciate them and scammers pretending to be kids just to get the tickets to sell. Not to mention, how would he determine who was more deserving? What about those who live far from the venue? Why give away tickets to a pair of fourteen year olds living down in Olympia when they won’t have any way to get up to Seattle? That was a good hour’s drive, if not longer. No parent in their right mind is going to drop their kids off at a music show sixty-five, seventy mines from their home and leave them there.

He cast a glance over at Murdoc, who was staring at the floor as he smoked his cigarette. He didn’t seem as buzzed as he was earlier and 2D was pretty sure he was probably feeling that heavy and sleepy feeling one feels once the booze runs its course. Taking a drag from his own cigarette, he cleared his throat. “Where’d ya go drinkin’ at?”

“A place called Fuck It,” Murdoc snickered, a small smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. “Great Yakisoba too, by the way.”

2D cocked an eyebrow, wondering if he’d heard right. “Fuck It?” A muffled giggle erupted from him. Surely he’d misheard the man! “There’s a place here call _Fuck It_?”

“Err...no, not really called _Fuck It_,” Murdoc chuckled. “Phuket. Little Thai joint.” He paused briefly, gazing around the arena before speaking again. “I slipped a ticket an’ backstage pass in t’ her handbag. Hope she sees it.”

“You went t’ see her ‘gain?” 2D asked with raised eyebrows. Murdoc didn’t have to elaborate over who _she_ was, the singer was pretty sure he knew. So he’d spent nearly every day with her to some degree? He paused briefly, something else clicking in his head. “Wait, isn’t she at work?”

“Was plannin’ t’ see if she wanted t’ go somewhere for lunch.” Another chuckle erupted from him as he stubbed his cigarette out on the bottom of his boot. “Got lucky. She got in t’ a fight with ‘nother employee an’ was gettin’ sent home the rest of the week. She throat punched the cunt!” Guffawing loudly, he slapped a hand to his knee. “Definitely a feisty one!”

2D shook his head, feeling laughter bubble to his lips. He shouldn’t have found this funny, necessarily, but maybe it was? In a weird way, it did explain further why Murdoc was drawn to the woman. He did wonder what unfolded for her to decide throat-punching someone was the best course of action. Was she similar to Murdoc even in temperament? Or was she one who had to really be pushed before she’d react? The singer knew there was something about her that intrigued Murdoc, but knew little else about her other than the fact that she seemed to like the same crazy violent shit the bassist was into. 2D had no idea what she did for a living, but he had his doubts her employer would take kindly to their staff getting into physical scuffles, regardless of who instigated it. “Won’t she lose her job?” he asked finally. “I dun’ fink work places look very highly on t’eir employees punchin’ each offer.”

Murdoc shrugged as he got to his feet. “Dunno. She was worried ‘bout the same. But it kinda sounded like the other person had it comin’. Made some nasty remarks an’ put her hands on Hailey first.”

2D nodded his head to indicate he was listening. He wanted to ask what the _nasty remarks _were, but stopped short of asking because for all he knew it was something personal that Murdoc might not even be aware of. Murdoc may not have actually cared enough to listen if she did tell him. Drawn to her, sure, but curious enough to actually get to know her on a level beyond shagging each other’s brains out? Probably not. Finishing his cigarette, he got to his feet also. “Must’ve been pretty bad for her t’ start swingin’, yeah?”

Moving towards the Cyborg, Murdoc gave a curt nod of his head as he took Noodle’s Gibson from the monstrosity and tucked it away into its case. “She didn’t ‘laborate. Just said the bitch made a few remarks, pushed her an’ she reacted. Said her an’ this bitch go back quite a few years an’ the cunt has a’ways been a problem for her.”

Chewing his lower lip, 2D glanced down at his feet. He had questions, but wasn’t sure how forthcoming Murdoc would be. Especially more personal questions about the nature of this little fling. Couldn’t deny that Murdoc’s mood had been greatly improved. Definitely less on edge and grumpy. Even his usual manner of torment had been pretty mild. But the singer also knew the man was insanely private about a lot of things and most likely wouldn’t be very forthcoming with whatever he had going on with this woman. But fuck it all, 2D was curious. “You fancy this bird?” he asked suddenly, catching only a brief glance of Murdoc’s eyes as he peered over his shoulder from his place by the guitar case. “I mean....you spend a lot of time wiff her an’ all. Haven’t seen you dis involved since...well...back at Kong.”

Rising to his feet, Murdoc gave another half shrug as he lit another cigarette. “Dunno, Dents. Reckon I do, but gotta be realistic ‘bout it.” Exhaling smoke through his nostrils, he glanced up at the singer briefly before turning his attention to his bass. “We have somethin’ simple an’ we both know it’s only temporary.” He knelt down, yanking the case for his guitar over and setting the red bass into it gently. “Nice lil’ fling an’ all, but nothin’ more than that, mate.”

The singer could hear something different in his tone. Sadness? Uncertainty? Couldn’t really say. Murdoc kept up so many walls that it was near impossible to read him accurately. But no amount of walls hid the fact that he was spending a great deal of time with this bird. They weren’t just meeting up for shags, they were actually meeting up to chat, attend parties and even going to lunch. Clearly he was a lot more interested than he was letting on and mostly likely the feelings were mutual on her part. Another thought crossed his mind, something that should have been much more obvious. “You worried she’ll find out what’s really goin’ on?”

Standing over by the Cyborg, Murdoc flinched and turned towards 2D slowly. “Of fuckin’ course not!” he barked. “Why the hell would I have t’ worry ‘bout any of that? She’s none the fuckin’ wiser an’ that’s how it will stay...” He narrowed his eyes, moving towards 2D stiffly. “Unless you think you’re gonna be the idiotic knight shinin’ armor an’ plan on rattin’ me out?”

“N-n-no!” 2D squeaked, arms thrown up defensively to his face. “It was juss a question!”

Standing now mere inches from him, Murdoc scanned his face over carefully, cigarette puffing from the side of his tense mouth. “So what makes you think she’ll figure it out, eh? Unless you plan on lettin’ shit slip?” He had gone from quiet and somber to suddenly irate and 2D hated these sudden changes of moods. Like a switch getting flipped.

“I swear!” 2D half shrieked. “Why would I wanna fuck up your chance at being happy ‘gain for the first time in fuck-knows how long!” He chanced a look through his fingers, still seeing Murdoc’s dark eyes boring down into him, the muscles in his face tense. “I mean it!” he said quickly. “You’ve been in a better mood an’ why the hell would I be stupid ‘nough t’ mess dat up?”

“Cyborg!” Murdoc barked, his eyes still on the singer. When the android appeared at his side, he turned slowly towards it. “Has this blue-haired idiot done an’thin’ t’ jeopardize this tour of greatness? Has he said an’thin’ t’ an’one? Tried t’ run?” When it stiffly shook its head from side to side, Murdoc visibly relaxed. “Right...where were we? Oh yeah...as I was sayin’, dullard, she’s fun t’ keep ‘round an’ maybe I do kinda fancy her a bit, but I’m only here so many days an’ just gotta make do with what we have.”

2D remained frozen in place with his hands covering his face even as Murdoc turned on his heels and stalked back over to his guitar case. Gesturing for the singer to follow, Murdoc and the Cyborg started walking towards the back of the stage to exit. 2D couldn’t move, the initial fear of seeing Murdoc’s lucid mood shift so quickly into paranoid red anger and then right back to something mild and even a bit jovial was nearly enough to make him wet himself. He’d fully expected to get struck in those few brief moments. It was only when the other two had finally exited the empty stage that 2D grabbed the case containing Noodle’s Gibson and jogged across the stage and down the short flight of stairs towards the exit. Just keep him happy, he reminded himself. Don’t do anything to set him off. As long as he was quiet and content hanging around with that bird he’d met in the pub several days ago, he’d be easier to manage and less likely to beat him to a pulp for so much as looking at him wrong.

****************************************************

Hailey sipped at her coffee and watched Alicia as she continued to pace around the apartment in a weird manic and panicky state. She’d been surprised at Hailey’s early return and even more shocked when she realized the reasons for her early arrival home. From there, it had turned into a stammered and shrill lecture about controlling herself, how she knew better and why not just report Chloe for the harassment. Why did she have to go and actually hit Chloe? That’s not what civilized society did. You took your grievances to upper management. You got a papertrail. It took time, but eventually the problematic employee would be removed. Hailey had rolled her eyes to all of this but had remained quiet because she knew any retort on her part would be met with an equally condescending solution. It all boiled down to putting up with the assholes until they left or grew tired of you. This was Alicia’s core belief when it came to being an adult in today’s world. You put up with those who mistreat you. Ignore them the best you can and carry on. Wait until the asshole gets dealt with by upper management. And everyone at the ad agency knew this a waste because Chloe’s father never allowed her to be held accountable. A stern talking to, sure, but actually be held accountable where it was on her employment record? Fucking unlikely. It was way more likely he’d push to have Hailey canned before he allowed his precious princess’s employment file be tarnished with anything beyond a verbal warning for proper phone etiquette.

Chloe should thank the universe that all Hailey did was strike her once, especially after that remark about being passed around as a sex toy. Nobody in the office knew about that. They didn’t even know she’d been a state ward. Not even Gina knew this. Honestly, it wasn’t their business. But Chloe couldn’t leave well enough alone and just had to run her mouth. Chloe only knew about it because she’d paid someone to access Hailey’s background years ago when they’d first met in college (and had nearly gotten kicked out until daddy swooped in to save her ass). Spilling that info out for everyone to know, something that wasn’t hers to share. Used as a way to get under Hailey’s skin. She had been seeing pure red at that point and the tunnel vision had pin-pointed Chloe like a scope on a rifle. It had taken every bit of willpower to not just start thrashing into that woman. A single punch had made the point, but Hailey had been itching to do much more.

While she’d been anxious as hell through the aftermath, she actually had been glad Gina let her take the rest of the week off and even more glad when Murdoc had shown up with offers of lunch. Seeing nearly every head in the office turn as she was led out by him with Chloe still hacking and squawking in the background had actually felt pretty damned good. Couldn’t deny a little petty part of her enjoyed the after-show. Lunch had been great, they’d had fun bullshitting in the other shops and even when she dragged him into the head shop and bought herself the little bong. She was looking forward to testing that out later with Jason. Alicia didn’t care for the stuff, but of all the things she had opinions about, didn’t have any real opinion on pot or those who smoked it. Could be because neither Hailey or Jason did it often and neither one of them did it so much it affected their ability to be functional adults.

“What if she presses charges!” Alicia said shrilly, now standing stock still in the living room and staring down at Hailey on the sofa. “She could have you thrown in jail. She could have you put away for a lot longer than a weekend stint, Hailey!”

“There were about eleven witnesses to the altercation, Ali,” Hailey said calmly. Though she was shaking inside at what might be to come from this, she wasn’t about to give Alicia the satisfaction of seeing her actually cower to anything that bitch from work could throw her way. “Enough people saw she started it, said some very inappropriate things and struck first.”

Alicia shook her head, still seemingly in disbelief. “Pushing is a far cry from punching a trachea!”

“Doesn’t matter, point is she started it and put her hands on me first.” Hailey sipped some more of her coffee and sank back into the cushions. “Besides, I didn’t punch her trachea that hard. So she’ll be hoarse for a day or two...at least she can still breathe. If I’d really put some _oomph_ behind it, she’d be fucking dead, so there’s that.”

“You can’t hit people who piss you off!” she barked back. When Hailey merely stuck her tongue out at her and shrugged her shoulders, Alicia scoffed loudly and stormed off to the kitchen. Probably to make an angry meal. This usually involved Ramen noodles and some garlic chili sauce picked up from the little Asian market over by Hailey’s office. She always fixed herself spicy food when she was upset. It was one of those weird little quirks that Hailey actually found amusing. Hailey’s method of handling anger was to chain smoke on the balcony until she couldn’t smoke anymore. Sometimes there’d be alcohol involved, but usually never more than some beer.

“Hey, make me some, will ya?” Hailey hollered from the living room, smirking when she heard pots and pans get slammed around, followed with Alicia’s irritated huffs. Still smirking, Hailey kicked up her feet onto the small coffee table. “Put some extra chili sauce in mine, dude.”

“Make your own food, you unemployed dork,” came the somewhat winded but definitely amused reply. “I’m not covering your share of the bills, by the way.” Thank Christ they were finally at the point of just tossing jokes at each other. Hailey wasn’t sure she’d be able to handle any more of Alicia’s frantic and panicky lecturing. She got worked up so damned quickly. Would be kind of funny if it wasn’t so fucking weird. She let so much get under her skin.

Rising from the sofa, Hailey set her mug aside and ventured into the kitchen. “We don’t even know if I’m out of a job yet. Gina said she’d get it sorted.”

Bent over the stove with the pot of noodles, Alicia sighed and shook her head. “She’s only the supervisor for that unit, Hailey. There’s only so much she will be able to do.”

Hailey nodded her acknowledgment of this but said nothing further. No point continuing to argue about it. Alicia said her piece and Hailey had done the same, all that was left was the waiting game to find out the outcome of what Alicia perceived as Hailey’s loss of control. Hailey didn’t think she’d lost control at all. She’d been pretty spot on in what she’d intended to do. If she’d lost control, they would have been peeling and scraping Chloe off the tiled floor. She turned her attention to the pantry and decided to fix herself a bowl of cereal before returning back to the sofa.

She’d failed to mention killing a few hours with Murdoc in the aftermath of the office situation. Given Alicia’s opinion of the man and overall attitude about the two of them spending time together, short lived as it was, Hailey thought it best to simply not say anything. She’d discovered the ticket and backstage pass in her purse when she’d finally gone back to the parking garage across the street from the office to retrieve her car. Though she couldn’t remember any time she’d left her purse unattended long enough for him to slip something into it, she never gave it much more thought and merely smiled at the discovery. A few co-workers had been on the level she’d been parked in and had filled her in briefly of the aftermath. Gina and Chloe had in the upper floor talking with the board of partners pretty much since she’d left but so far nobody knew what was going to happen.

She hated this limbo. Would be nice to know what the hell was going to happen so she could prepare accordingly. Should she face being unemployed, she knew she could get a good reference from Gina so finding work shouldn’t be a huge obstacle but it was still an obstacle all the same. Reginald Turner would be sure to get his daughter somewhere else she could harass and fuck up so no doubt she’d have zero issue picking up where she left off. And she called Hailey the charity case! Bitch was the biggest fucking hypocrite in the city, if not the goddamned world. She used daddy and daddy’s money to get where she wanted to be while everyone else busted their asses. Hailey wouldn’t have gotten those scholarships if it hadn’t been for working herself to the bone in high school. Maybe being a state ward played into it, but she’d made sure to prove she was worth the investment.

Alicia eventually emerged from the kitchen with her bowl of noodles and Hailey could smell the chili sauce from across the room. Content with her bowl of Golden Grahams, Hailey continued to eat her cereal and occasionally glance up at the television. Wasn’t there a new episode of The Simpsons last night? Treehouse of Horror? Those were always good for a chuckle. Whatever was currently playing on the screen only did nothing to hold Hailey’s interest. It was one of Alicia’s favorite films, _**The English Patient**_. The movie had bored Hailey to fucking tears. “Jesus, Ali, we’re still in Halloween season...can we at least watch Rocky Horror?”

“It’s the first of November,” Ali laughed through a bite of noodles. “We’re in the limbo before Christmas.”

“Fine, _**Nightmare Before Christmas**_ then,” Hailey snorted as she shoveled another bite of cereal into her mouth. Alicia merely giggled in response, but the other film continued on and Hailey let out a huff of annoyance as she finished her cereal and got to her feet. Tossing the plastic bowl into the sink, she veered off towards her room. “I can’t watch that shit, woman," she called over her shoulder. “Enjoy your three hours of fucking boredom.”

Once in her bedroom, she shed off the work clothes and changed into her sleep clothes. She just wanted to be comfortable. She had to give Alicia some credit. At least she was quick to drop the subject she’d been hellbent on lecturing Hailey about. You’d never fucking know I was almost two years older, Hailey thought to herself. Alicia had a specific sense of normality and order and Hailey refused to fit into that box. It always drove the blond crazy that everything she thought one should do in order to function in civilized society had never been on Hailey’s agenda. Hailey went through the motions in order to adapt and survive. She knew what should and shouldn’t be done, but the regular aspects of civilized society just baffled her. Regardless of how much people preached to the opposite, she did feel there were times when a good neanderthal throw down was necessary. You could only turn the other cheek for so long before you become a fucking doormat. Why the fuck should she wait for the paper pushers upstairs to deal with a problematic employee? That means you’re still stuck dealing with them for however long it takes for the assholes above to pull their thumbs from their ass.

And another thing – why was playing the field frowned upon? Why were the things she liked mocked and ridiculed? She had always been careful. Protection definitely a must. She always made sure the partner was on the same page and wasn’t expecting anything beyond what they’d have that night. But somehow this made her a bad person? Her bedroom tastes were somehow proof she was damaged goods in some way? Nearly all the men she’d brought to her bed had talked a lot of talk but rarely were ever able to meet the expectations. All talk and no fucking action. Pussy footing around with a few weak hair tugs and maybe an occasional throat grab. Weak assholes who freaked out the moment she’d hiss out she wanted to be hit. Weak and fragile little douchebags who freaked out the moment they realized she was fucking serious back at the club and their so-called _game_ barely got her wet.

It did seem a bit strange to her that this was all bothering her now. Even Alicia’s behaviors as of late had started to wear on her nerves. She’d generally lived her life as she saw fit and to hell with what anyone thought of it. She had her beliefs, her reasons and own rigid code of ethics for life and yet it seemed that lately she had a lot of people suddenly trying to drag her away from it all and towards what they saw as civilized and right. Maybe for them, but definitely not for her.

Laying on her bed, she pulled her laptop out to poke around on the internet a bit, happy that she had the rest of the week to relax and sort herself out. When her cell phone chimed and indicated a message had come through, she yanked the phone from her bag and pulled up the message. Unfamiliar number sequence, but the message alone told her who had sent it. _**Hope you saw my little presents. Don’t ever let anyone tell you I’m not generous!**_ Cracking a small smile, she responded with a thank you and that she’d see him tomorrow at the show. His next response was simply to remind her that the charges for international texting were enormous so use at a minimum or she’d owe him half his cell bill for the month. Chuckling, she tucked the phone aside and played around on Facebook a bit before moving on to a few other sites to browse and catch up with whatever current events she’d been following.

Her cell chimed again and frowning, she pulled the phone up and saw the message was from Gina. And if Gina had been standing in front of her, she’d have kissed the woman. _**Good news – partners agreed who was at fault. Chloe Turner will no longer be employed by the agency as of 4:30PM tomorrow. You will only face a 3 day suspension, effective today so this means use some leave for Thursday and Friday. You will only lose 3 days pay. Don’t ever say I didn’t do anything for you, woman. Talk with you later.**_ Shaking, Hailey tapped her response. _**How the hell did you pull this off?**_ She had to know! She was so fucking certain she’d be out of a job and yet some how, Gina managed to convince them that all she needed was a three day suspension and they were canning Turner? Surely Reginald Turner wouldn’t stand for this! It took a few moments before Gina’s response came through. _**Given the nature of Turner’s harassment towards you, the fact that she exposed some very sensitive background info about you, not even including the remarks about your personal relationships, I simply pointed out that firing you could result in a hefty lawsuit against the agency should you wish to pursue one. Someone in the office had also recorded the altercation on their phone and was happy to submit the video as evidence against Turner. You can kiss me later, ok? **_

Laughing, Hailey shot from the bed and out into the living room. “_Not fired_!” she shrieked, startling Alicia. “They’re firing Turner and I only get a three day suspension!” Still laughing, she dropped down into the sofa besides Alicia and passed her over the cell phone.

Alicia browsed through the trio of messages, a smile curling onto her face. “This is great! But you should thank the universe because you got very lucky. Gina basically blackmailed them into keeping your job.” She handed Hailey back the phone and settled back into her film. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m super glad you’re not out of a job.”

Rising from the sofa, Hailey sent a quick message to the other number that had texted her, letting him know that her employment was safe and that the instigator was being fired. He responded with a quick thumbs up and it was left at that. She didn’t want to rack up a bill if their exchanges were expensive on his cell bill, or even hers for that matter. Once back in her room, she dropped into her bed and got back onto the laptop, wondering if she should mention something on her social media but eventually thought better of it. Turner would no doubt be out for blood once she realized she was getting fired for what happened. Never mind who started it, she’d blame Hailey for it because Hailey was a low life who didn’t belong in her world. She’d see this as another charity hand out to Hailey. Frowning at her screen, she left Facebook and bounced over to Twitter to distract herself from all the work drama bullshit. Should she follow Gorillaz? She was already following a few different bands, so what was one more? She felt a bit silly doing this but she was excited about how this week was going. She’d left work at one-thirty or so, dead certain she’d be out of a job by the end of the day. She’d found a floor seat ticket and backstage pass for the concert in her purse, a show that was now only twenty-four hours away and had been sold out for nearly four months. And she was now finding out that not only was she _not _out of a job, but the icing on the fucking cake – Turner was getting canned and would get the security walk of shame through the office. Fucking shame Hailey couldn’t be there to see it. Maybe she could ask one of the other office peeps to record it for her?

*************************************************

Struggling to control his rising emotions, 2D sank down into his bed. A single steel cuff was latched to his wrist that was connected via a chain to another single cuff that was locked down on the rail of the bed. Secured tightly and no way to escape. He was exhausted and on the brink of tears. Part of him entertained the idea of refusing to sing for the show tomorrow night, but he knew such disobedience would be met with Murdoc’s fists and honestly had just wanted this to be over with once and for all.

Upon leaving the arena earlier, the Cyborg literally froze in place, completely shutting down. With Murdoc suddenly occupied with getting the blasted thing to work without attracting too much attention as he smacked at it and kicked it, 2D had used it as his chance and bolted. The only thing he’d heard at his back was a surprised squawk from Murdoc, but he hadn’t bothered looking back because he had just wanted to put as much distance between himself and the bassist as he could. He’d gotten so desperate that he hadn’t given any thought to where he was or how he’d get far without his wallet or passport. His only concern in those moments was to run and keep running. He’d managed to elude everyone for hours, ignoring the chimes to his cell phone as the other musicians dropped messages to ask his where-abouts and no doubt even some curt demands from Murdoc to get his bony arse back to the hotel ASAP.

Murdoc had eventually found him near the Alaska Way Viaduct. Initially, 2D had been primed to sprint off again, but as Murdoc got closer, he realized the man had a fucking pistol gripped in his hand and pointed directly at him. Realizing he had no alternatives, he’d finally accepted defeat and was led back to the hotel by Murdoc. He had later discovered that Murdoc had his cell phone pinged to his own so the bassist could track via the cell phone’s GPS. Murdoc didn’t hit him or harm him in any way, he simply cuffed 2D to his bed. Murdoc then exited the singer’s room briefly before returning and dragging the Cyborg from under its arms, hauling it towards the bathroom and dropping it into the tub basin.

Looking up with vision blurred from the onset of tears, he turned his attention to the bathroom. Murdoc was kneeling at the side of the tub, socked feet tucked beneath his rump, tool bag open beside him with several different tools scattered about. Glasses perched on his twisted nose as he bent back over the side of the tub to do whatever work he was attempting to do. He sometimes cast a quick glance in 2D’s direction, but was mostly focused on working on the Cyborg. 2D gave the cuff and chain a small yank, his voice coming out in a whimper. “Fink you can unlock dis? I promise I won’t run ‘gain.”

Murdoc looked up from his task, eyes weary through the metal framed glasses. “Sorry, Dents, but not until I can get this tin can figured out. You caused quite the stir in your little escape an’ it took a lot of damage control on my part.” There was no menace in his voice, just exhaustion. “Your lil’ stunt jeopardized ever’thin’, mate.”

“So let me go den!” 2D barked back, his voice catching as the emotions got dangerously close to the surface. “Maybe if you hadn’t been a fuckin’ tosser ‘bout all dis...I hope it blows up in your face!”

“Fuck off, Face-Ache,” Murdoc grumbled, no longer looking at him. He reached into the tool bag and withdrew a weird tool, looking at it briefly before plugging it in and bending back over the side of the tub. Soldering iron? Something could be heard and a weird burning smell hit 2D’s nostrils.

Tugging at the cuff and chain, 2D uttered a whine as he dropped down into the bed. His phone was across the room, taken from him once Murdoc had gotten them all in the room. Now knowing that Murdoc had installed stuff to keep tabs on his activities as well as the GPS thing, he wasn’t sure what he could do. He knew he was feeling desperate and frantic at this point. He kept thinking to his nightmares of the Cyborg malfunctioning and killing everyone. What if it did that the next time it went on the fritz? They’d been mostly blessed with it simply shutting down, but he could recall a few tense moments early in the tour where it had drawn a weapon and Murdoc had been frantically trying to calm everyone down. How the fuck could they not see what was really going on? Murdoc’s silver tongue worked wonders with everyone, it seemed. He could probably be considered one of the greatest con-men ever with how he was able to keep everyone in line even with shit falling apart around him. Nobody questioned his excuses. Nobody dared tried to get close enough to find out if he was telling the truth or bullshitting them completely. Not even Albarn questioned shit and both he and Murdoc had been bickering like a married couple all through the tour.

A grunt from Murdoc perked 2D’s head up, watching as the bassist grabbed a screwdriver and reached back into the tub. Screwing something down, he did something else that 2D couldn’t see and the singer nearly yelped when the Cyborg sat up stiffly in the tub, turning its head slowly to look at Murdoc. “What are your orders, sir?”

“Sugary Beelzebub, I got your voice programmin’ t’ work!” Murdoc said in surprise. He slowly got to his feet, stretching his back a bit and pulling his glasses from his face, setting them aside. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he glanced over at 2D. “Err...keep an eye on the dullard, love. Think you can do that without fuckin’ it up?”

“Orders confirmed,” it said in a flat voice that sent shivers down 2D’s spine. Noodle’s voice, but not Noodle. It lacked her peculiar accent. “Continue to monitor the Idiot Singer of Gorillaz.”

2D kept his eyes on the Cyborg even as Murdoc knelt by the bed and unlocked the cuff attached to the singer’s wrist. When he flicked his black eyes to Murdoc’s face, he was surprised at how worn down and aged he suddenly looked. Had this latest attempt really taken so much out of him? Looking back over at the Cyborg, 2D swallowed loudly in the silent room before finally speaking. “Aren’t ya ‘fraid it will fuck up ‘gain?”

Gathering the chain and cuffs to his arm, Murdoc glanced over at the Cyborg as it climbed out of the tub and stood just outside the bathroom door. “Sure fuckin’ hope not.” He shook his head as he slipped out of the room with the chains, returning again with his boots and jacket. “Cyborg, keep the blue haired idiot t’ his room. Intercept an’one who tries t’ enter while I’m gone.”

The Cyborg nodded its head, eyes locked on the singer who was still half laying on his bed. “Affirmative, sir.”

2D watched as Murdoc yanked his boots on, followed by his jacket. The bassist seemed distracted momentarily, patting around until he located his phone and wallet and verified he had the key-cards for both rooms. Sitting up in the bed, 2D grabbed his cigarettes and lit one. “You’re headin’ out ‘gain?” he asked meekly, scanning over Murdoc’s weary face. “Dun’ suppose I can tag ‘long?”

“You lost that privilege when your lanky arse decided t’ make a run for it.” Sighing, Murdoc lit his own cigarette and pulled his flask from his jacket pocket, shaking it around. He must have decided the amount that was sloshing around was adequate because he simply tucked it back into the inside pocket and straightened himself out, rubbing at his temples briefly before slipping out of the room and leaving 2D alone with the monstrosity.

Casting a cautious glance at the android, 2D licked his lips. “Do you a’ways do what he says?”

A strange series of clicks could be heard as it slowly turned its head towards the singer. “My primary objective is to protect Murdoc Niccals, Master Bass Player and God.”

“Can you fink fer yourself?” he asked in a shaky voice. “Dun’ you have dat artificial intelligence or whatever dey call it?”

“Quiet, Idiot Singer of Gorillaz.” Holy shit he hated that voice! So flat and emotionless. How could the bastard even think about having that blasted thing even sound like Noodle? It moved across the room and stood by the door, its glass eyes still locked on him. “I am programmed to protect Murdoc Niccals, Master Bass Player and God. His goal is to complete this tour and obtain significant financial compensation. You will do as you are told until he no longer has use for you.”

Tears welling into his eyes, 2D sank back into the bed with sob, pulling the pillows around him so he could block out the vision of that awful thing and the sounds he could hear coming from it as it processed everything around it. Clearly everything was starting to wear down onto them all. 2D let out another sob in the darkness of the blankets and pillows. Part of him briefly entertained the idea of using his phone to contact someone – anyone – who could possibly help him. But as long as that thing stood by the door, he knew he didn’t stand a chance. It would hurt or kill anyone who attempted to force their way into the room and he’d be damned if his efforts to escape led to someone’s death. Sighing through his tears, he slowly raised his head, remembering that there was some food somewhere. At some point while working on the Cyborg, Murdoc had ordered some take-away to have delivered to the room. He’d ordered two separate meals but 2D had been so caught up in his ever-increasing circle of misery and fear that he’d almost completely forgotten about it. The second carton sat untouched on the small desk by the telly.

Rising from the bed, he walked over and grabbed the carton, reefing the styrofoam lid open. He let out a small groan upon realizing Murdoc had actually ordered him a vegetarian meal. This was why the old tosser confused the shit out of him. How could he be so fucking cold and ruthless in one breath but show kindness and consideration in the next? Frowning, he dropped to the edge of the bed and began to work at the grilled vegetables and soft brown rice. Though he could still feel those cold and dead eyes locked onto him, he did his best to shove them from his attention. The food was delicious and that was all that mattered. He was fucking starving and all he wanted to do was eat and then pop a migraine pill so he could sleep away the rest of the evening.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

The cab made its way through the weird maze of one way streets. How exactly did the fucking city planners think this would work because it took twice as fucking long to get anywhere! Murdoc’s brow furrowed as the cab took a left and then a right, struggling to get through the heavy evening traffic just to get to his desired destination. And here he thought London or even New York city was bad. Seattle took the fucking cake, no doubt. He could have walked the fucking distance in half the time it was taking this sodding cab. The cab driver took little notice of his flustered state, the driver focused solely on getting him where he requested. Was it possible the cabbie was taking his sweet time intentionally just to rape his wallet? Stupid git most likely realized he didn’t have a local in the car and knew he could get away with circling the block a few times just to run the meter.

Christ, he was tired. The latest malfunction and escape attempt had really taken too much out of him. The robot had literally froze up and shut itself down right there on the sidewalk outside the arena and he’d felt numerous pedestrian eyes on him as he cursed, kicked and smacked the sodding thing before hearing the frantic taps of running feet and seeing only Stu’s back as the lanky fuck high-tailed it down the sidewalk. It had felt like his stomach had plummeted down to his feet upon realizing what was happening. Right out in the open, too. Out where everyone could see. Luckily, he’d managed to ignore the stares and get the blasted android into the waiting car, but he could see all the faces looking at the car as it lurched away from the arena. Blood pressure climbing and heart-rate increasing, he’d all but thrown the bloody piece of scrap metal into his suite so he could get to his phone and try to locate the dullard.

It had been such a fucking close call! There’d been another meeting scheduled to go over a few final snags for tomorrow’s show and when Stu hadn’t shown, everyone started reaching out to him to find out his where-abouts. Murdoc tried to explain away his absence but soon they started bringing up 2D’s strange behavior and other little things that they appeared to be finally catching onto. Eyes were starting to look in Murdoc’s direction, eyes that were now full of questions and suspicion. It seemed that no matter what excuse Murdoc could give, someone would point out an observation that blew his lies out of the water. Nothing he said or did seemed to put any of them at ease. He did have to thank the Man below for actually thinking of connecting their cell phones so he could track the lanky git. Even with all the chaos and questions and other observations about the strangeness of the tour up to that point, he’d been frantically following the little blip on the phone as it weaved through the city streets in a desperate effort to run. Once free and out of their sight, he’d grabbed his Ruger from his pharmaceutical bag, tucked it into the back of his jeans, snatched up his jacket and bolted out of the hotel in his hunt for the singer.

The cab had reached a small tangle of heavy traffic, now idling at a green light as they waited for the cars ahead to move forward. Murdoc could see the driver flicking their eyes to the rear-view mirror every so often and recognition could be seen on his face. “Hey, you’re that guy from Gorillaz, arent’ you? The bass player?” Murdoc nodded but said nothing, not really in the mood for vague small talk. His brief and silent acknowledgment brought a smile to the driver’s face as they finally moved across the intersection. “That’s so cool, man. Love your guys’ albums. Demon Days was my favorite. Would have loved to see tomorrow’s show, but it was sold out by the time I had enough cash to get a ticket.”

“Shame, mate,” Murdoc muttered, casting a quick look at the driver through the mirror. “This is the best tour yet.” He didn’t really wanted to get into too much conversation with the driver, mostly because he would prefer to get to his destination in one piece and the man kept taking his eyes off the road to look at him. The driver was giddy at the idea of having a superstar in his cab and spent more time looking in the mirror than on the road and soon, both were tossed forward when the man had to slam on the brakes to keep himself from rear-ending the car ahead of them. Murdoc had thrown his hands up and managed to stop himself from planting face-first into the back of the front seat, almost glowering at the driver now. “Listen, mate, you need t’ keep your eyes on the road, yeah? I would like t’ get t’ where I’m goin’ intact.” Luckily, the brief close call was probably more than enough for the driver to keep focused on the road and not his passenger. Murdoc turned his attention to the passing buildings and streets out his window, catching sight of the apartment building looming over the smaller structures, his destination now maybe a block or two away. “Err...stop here, mate,” he ordered, digging his wallet from his back pocket. “I can walk from here.”

Paying the driver and exiting the cab, Murdoc looked up and down the quieter sidewalk. Now away from the more populated areas of downtown, things were definitely calmer. But this was essentially a residential area, was it not? No shops, no offices, just massive apartment buildings that had once towered above the city before the skyscrapers and expensive high rise apartments took the city over. He gauged his location quickly, veering off towards the building her recognized as Hailey’s. He hadn’t been sure why he chose to head to her place. With all the stresses the day had given him, he should have been hiding in his hotel suite and getting smashed off some high end hooch or seeking a score from someone so he could dull his stresses in other fashions. He hadn’t even been sure where the fuck he planned on going when he’d first left the hotel earlier. He just knew he needed someplace or something to calm his frayed nerves. He was fucking exhausted and there was still some nagging anxiety in the back of his head regarding the android and the singer. Though he was confident he’d managed to fix the issue that kept causing it to shut down, what if it did it again and Dents made another run for it? Should he have kept the singer chained to the bed?

Shaking his head, he clamped a cigarette between his lips and lit it, catching the eyes of a pair of young men who’d crossed the street in front of him. He stood frozen in place as they passed by him, the look in their eyes not that of recognition, but something else that sent a strange feeling of unease wash over him. Once they’d passed him, he could feel sweat breaking out as he slowly looked over his shoulder and met the eyes of one of them who’d chosen to look back at him. Locking eyes with the stranger briefly, Murdoc could hear whispered thoughts of fear reaching in. Had the Black Clouds located him? Was this the end of the line for him? He turned slowly, reaching behind his back into the waistband of his jeans, feeling the Ruger still tucked away. When one of the young men finally stopped and turned, Murdoc yanked the Ruger out with a snarl, pointing the handgun directly at them. “Better keep on walkin’, mates.” The man threw his hands up, his face paling at the sight of the gun. Still holding the gun tightly, Murdoc motioned them to keep moving. “I’m not kiddin’,” he growled. “Get one step closer an’ I won’t hesitate t’ ventilate your soddin’ heads.”

The man who’d been staring at him shook his head before turning to run and catch up with the friend who’d shot off the moment the gun was revealed. “Crazy mother fucker,” he belted out over his shoulder as the two men turned a corner.

Still standing stock still on the corner with the Ruger in his hand, Murdoc took a few deep breaths to get his rising blood pressure and heart-rate under control. Had they only been a pair of kids who’d simply taken notice of the celebrity in their midst? They sure as hell weren’t looking at him like the normal star-struck fans. He’d been certain the man had been looking at him like one looked at a hunted target. He shook his head and tucked the Ruger into his jacket pocket. Had those men truly looked menacing or had it been his own paranoia? The last time he’d encountered an associate of the Clouds had been on the east coast of the country and that had been some time back. Dents knew he was on the run, but had no fucking idea just how close shit had gotten. He’d been cornered outside a bar when the associate had made his presence known and tried to tackle Murdoc in an effort to drag him off. The attacker had given no warning and if he had been armed, had not yet revealed his weapon. He’d just suddenly jumped at Murdoc’s back and the struggle had commenced.

Murdoc was aware of the bounty on his head and had been mostly surprised that the attacker had chosen to try to get to him outside a rather populated nightspot. Lucky for Murdoc, he’d still been carrying the Ruger more often then and through their struggles, he’d managed to yank it out, press the muzzle into the fucker’s chest and fired. He’d never fired a gun at another human before in his life until that moment, the gun mostly used for theatrics and optics. Loaded sure, but he’d hoped he would never have to fire it. The attacker had dropped like a sack of potatoes and Murdoc had bolted off, almost sick by the time he’d gotten back to the hotel. When news of the body’s discovery made the local news the following morning, nobody seemed to notice that Murdoc was visibly shaken. He could only assume that some of the musicians were probably brushing it off as him being hungover from trying to get a bender in the previous night. Luckily, the weapon was mostly untraceable since it had changed numerous hands through the years and was as hot as a burning coal. Another weapon he probably should have sold, but seeing that it had been in good working order, decided to keep for himself just in case.

He was still shaking when he finally reached the main entrance of the apartment building. Pulling his cell phone out, he skimmed through the recent contacts and tapped at Hailey’s number. As he made his way towards the lift, the other line rang and rang and suddenly he was worried she might not be in or – checking the time and seeing it was late – dead asleep and unable to hear her phone. He frowned, ready to disconnect the call when after the sixth ring or so there was some noise and her sleepy sounding voice on the other end. “Hello?”

“Oi, it’s me,” he said quietly, struggling to control the tremble to his voice. “I’m in the lift on me way up t’ your floor.”

He could hear movement from the other end and the squeak of a mattress before her husky voice returned to the line. “Err...you’re here? We didn’t make plans, did we?”

“No. Just needed a place t’ escape.” He emerged from the lift and veered towards the corridor where her apartment door was. Disconnecting the call, he spotted her poking her head through the doorway as he approached. He suspected he’d awoken her wit h the call and this was confirmed by her mussed hair, eyes that were a little puffy from sleep and the rumpled state of her sleep-clothes.

She stepped aside to let him enter and closed the door quietly. He lingered by the door a moment as she secured the locks and flashed him a smile, gesturing for him to follow her down the corridor to her room. “Alicia’s asleep,” she warned in a whisper. “So we need to keep it down.”

Once in her bedroom, he shut the door and flicked over the cheap little lock on the knob. Hailey was already climbing back into her bed, fluffing some pillows and sitting up against the wall. He shed his jacket and draped it over the back of her little desk chair before sitting down on the edge of the bed to unlace his boots and get them off his feet. Every part of him was still quaking inside over what had briefly unfolded just moments before he’d reached her building. He took a breath to steady himself as he kicked off his boots. “She doesn’t like me much, I take it?”

Hailey’s eyes followed him as he sank down into her bed fully clothed, turning to face her. She didn’t respond right away, merely curling down into the blankets with him before finally shaking her head. “No, not really.” Her voice was barely above a whisper and had he not been so close to her, he most likely would never have heard her. “Ali can be a bit of a mother hen. Aggravating, yes, but she’s gotten me out of a few bad situations.”

He brought his hand up, pressing her cheek gently before traveling down the curve of her jaw and the soft tissue just beneath. “She thinks _this_ is a bad situation?” he asked in a hoarse whisper, gesturing at the two of them. “She’s actin’ more like your parole officer than your mate, Poppet.”

Cracking a tired smile, she nodded her head. “She does, I know. Gets old, but she’s been this way since we were kids. I just let it go in one ear and out the other.” When her own hand brushed against his face, smoothing back his hair, he closed his eyes. Her hands were warm and soft, fingertips moving gently through his hair and he felt a shiver ripple up his spine and goosebumps break out across his arms and neck. It had been too many years since he’d felt such softness and he honestly wasn’t sure what to think about it.

“She needs t’ mind her bleedin’ business,” he grumbled through a sigh as she continued to work her fingers through his hair and across his scalp. Christ, this felt fucking good. When he opened his eyes, her own eyes were staring directly at him. He’d never realized how green her eyes were. Green eyes that were the same shade of green as Noodle’s. This small realization sent a shock through his body, the emotions dangerously close to breaching the surface. He closed his eyes again, fearful she’d catch the brief emotions reflected too easily in eyes that fought the burn of tears. He wanted to say something about it but his mouth remained slack. He’d never wanted Noodle hurt. Why hadn’t Russel or 2D understood that? “Fuck,” he whispered in a shaky voice. “I’m knackered.”

Hailey curled around him, her face now mere inches from his. The hand moving through his hair was now tracing across his nose, his eyebrows and down along his jawline. “What brought you here?” she asked in a low voice, her fingers now tracing around his ears. “I figured you would be busy since the show is tomorrow night.”

“Needed an escape,” he murmured, scooting himself close so he could bury his head into her neck and shoulder. “Tired of the band. Tired of the tour. Just fuckin’ tired, love. It’s exhaustin’.” Sighing in the darkness of her neck and hair, he frowned unseen by her. “Y’know...when I was small, I used t’ dream of makin’ it big like this an’ leavin’ that shit life behind. If I’d known this shit would be so stressful, I woulda dreamed of bein’ a doctor...or a solicitor.” Laughing to himself, he let his hand trace lazily across her arms. “Ever’ night, ever’ stop....you’re puttin’ on a front. You become someone else.”

“You put up a facade that the public wants,” she whispered against his cheek. “We talked about this, remember? I told you, even if you don’t think you are, you really are putting up an image that is easier for the public to digest.”

“Ever’one expects me t’ be a certain way.” He pressed himself closer, almost purring as her hands continued their own soft exploration of his head and neck. “They dun’ want t’ know an’thin’ different. A’ways gotta be the showman. An’ people only see what they wanna see. Rock star. Bad boy. Can’t be an’thin’ else t’ them. I just want t’ just be m’self for fuckin’ once but that man is ready t’ fuckin’ crack under the pressure.”

Hailey snuggled closer, a small sigh of her own escaping before she spoke. “It turns into a constant battle of what we want to do and what we should do. Being told how we should act. Told how we should think. Being told that being ourselves is wrong or just isn’t enough.”

“An’ no matter how much we try t’ accommodate, it’s never ‘nough.” It felt a little strange being in a woman’s bed with both of them fully clothed but he managed to shove those particular confusing thoughts aside as she circled her arms around him and held him close to her. Only mere centimeters of fabric separated the crush of her breasts against him, but he didn’t really mind. He was warm and mostly comfortable. He just wanted to bask in the softness that had settled between them. There was potential with this woman and yet their time together was measured down to hours. She accepted him as he was. She didn’t judge. She made room for him in her world when she didn’t have to. Part of him wanted so desperately to tell her everything. Just lay the cards out and see what happened. Tell her how much he’d grown to like her. How he wanted to see where things would go. And about the concert. The truth behind the state of Gorillaz. But he couldn’t. There was no way. He risked her pushing him away and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stomach that. Chewing his lip, he flicked his eyes to meet hers again, a sad smile on his face. “Can I hide here?”

Returning the smile, something in her eyes seeming to tell him she could see through it all, she pressed her lips to his forehead. “Warden’s weird about pets,” she said through a small laugh.

“I’m house-trained, I swear,” he laughed back, pressing his lips to hers.

She let out a massive yawn, kissing him again before curling her head into his shoulder. “You can hide here as long as you need to.” He closed his eyes, using his free arm to move his own fingers through her dark hair, listening as her breathing grew more steady. He drifted, almost smiling as she grew completely still against him, the darkness behind his eyes welcoming.

_His eyes snapped open to find himself in some Christ-awful desert. Looking around frantically, he spotted Stu and Russ over near a trailer and talking with what looked like some production staff. Several yards away from where he stood, he spotted both Hewlett and Albarn discussing something. Why was this all so familiar to him? And where the fuck was he? Hewlett barked an order that escaped Murdoc’s ears and he found himself watching as production staff started scattering around to do whatever it was they needed to do. All around them were miles upon miles of sand and maybe the occasional bush of some sort. Murdoc frowned at his surroundings, still unclear why they were there and what the hell they were doing._

_ “ACTION!” Hewlett yelled._

_ 2D appeared at his side suddenly, starting Murdoc enough to almost jump back. He was staring skyward, a pale look of worry on his face as he shielded his eyes from the sun and continued staring up. “I can’t believe she agreed t’ do dis,” he whimpered, shaking his head._

_ A massive shadow swallowed the light around them, blocking away the sunlight completely. Murdoc looked up, seeing the massive floating island drifting above them. Frowning, he looked back over at Russ, who appeared to have the same look of worry on his face as the dullard. _ _That’s right, they were at a video-shoot. So w_ _hat were they so fucking worried about? It was just a video shoot. Noodle was a big girl and knew what she was doing. _ _They’d get the filming done and then retreat to some high end eatery to talk about what they thought of it and Noodle would most likely get into what she thought she could’ve gone differently._

_ Remaining in his place just beneath the behemoth stage prop, he heard Hewlett asking about the helicopters and why were they running late? Murdoc shook his head, wanting to laugh at how inept the props and staff appeared to be. Can’t even wrangle the helicopters they’d arranged weeks ago when Hewlett had been presenting them with the drawing board concept of the video? He continued to stare at the floating island, watching as it gained altitude in the cloudless and sunny California sky. So far, so good, yeah? Everything appeared to be going just as Hewlett had plotted out in his storyboard with the exception of the choppers being late, but they could always reshoot once they arrived, right?_

_ From the distance behind him, he could hear the faint sounds of aircraft. He wasn’t the only one who’d heard it either, the noises in the distant causing nearly everyone to turn and look back towards the high canyons. Wait, they were flying them in? Weren’t things like this usually brought in on a trailer attached to a lorry? Murdoc saw specks in the distance and as they closed in, revealing themselves to be two helicopters, he relaxed a bit. Knowing Hewlett, he’d be too cheap to have them hauled in on a lorry. Wh_ _at better way to cut corners on cost than to have the pilots just fly them in_ _? _

_ Some of the staff were murmuring amongst themselves and even both Russ and Stu looked a bit confused as the choppers closed in. Hewlett had removed his sunglasses and was now also staring at them in confusion. _ _Irritated that everyone seemed to be incompetent in the face of a small change in the shoot schedule, Murdoc looked up again as the choppers flew by. He’d caught only a brief glimpse of them as they circled around the closed off film site. When one of them pivoted hard and veered back towards them, he caught sight of them completely, every part of him going numb when he saw the graffiti on the sides. He recognized that graffiti. He’d seen it on countless aircraft and watercraft, seen it on the jackets of men who’d happily handed him stacks of cash in exchange for the drugs and weapons he’d been obtaining for them. Drugs and weapons that were shit quality or didn’t work at all. “No,” he groaned, watching as the two choppers flew directly towards the floating island, guns firing rapidly. “No!” he screamed louder, now running towards them as they circled the island and continued to fire. Noodle could be heard screaming and Murdoc was sure he’d caught sight of her rushing along the astro-turf and towards the windmill for some semblance of shelter against the onslaught of bullets as the two helicopters continued to veer around and continue firing. Flames could be seen rising from the floating prop, the upper parts of the windmill now on fire. Still running towards them, Murdoc waved his arms frantically. “Jump, Noodle! Fuckin’ JUMP!” _ _It didn’t take long for every part of the island to be engulfed in flames, the roar of the fire now drowning out the sound of the gunfire. When one of the helicopters pulled away, Murdoc kept running and waving his arms. “I’m here, you fuckers! Get me! I’m right here!”_

_ They either didn’t see him or didn’t care, both of the choppers now back at their attack on the island. It was starting to descend, losing altitude. One helicopter remained to continue firing on it, the other one now flying away and gone before anyone could figure out what happened. Murdoc could hear screams and sirens behind him but he just kept running, watching with horrified eyes as the island plummeted down into the canyon, _ _the impact shaking the earth so hard he could see rubble and other debris break free. _ _Too focused on the island, he almost didn’t catch that the edge of the canyon was just right there and he found himself skidding to a stop near the edge, panting and coughing through the dust. There was a steep incline near-by and he was soon skidding down into the canyon, only seeing wreckage and flames as he tried to get as close as he dared. “Noodle!” he screamed, wiping away the tears that he hadn’t even realized were falling._

_ The lone helicopter hovered over the wreckage, the bottom of it opening up and revealing something that Murdoc had only ever seen in films. He was suddenly running away from the wreckage, hearing and feeling the blast as it sent aftershocks through the hard packed desert floor. The blast hit his back and threw him face-fist into the sand. He wasn’t sure how long he’d lay there, ears ringing and sand in his mouth and in his eyes. _ _Initially it was nothing but a high pitched ring in his ears but as it started to recede, h_ _e could hear 2D screaming and sobbing _ _from somewhere he couldn’t see_ _. He slowly got to his feet with a groan, wiping at his face and blinking his eyes. Turning back towards the wreckage, he spotted something small laying just outside the flames. Limping towards it, he quickened his pace when he realized the something he was looking at was Noodle. Singed, her clothing mostly burned away and exposing her tiny little body, but it was her. Shedding his jacket, he hit his knees into the sand, almost sobbing as he wrapped her in the jacket and hauled her into his arms. “You’re fuckin’ ‘live!” he sobbed. “I can’t believe it, you’re actually ‘live!”_

_ She moved in his arms, eyes twitching beneath closed lids as he struggled to carry her towards the incline. She slowly turned her head towards him, eyes opening and the look froze him in place. Glassy and cold. Dead eyes. “What are your orders, sir?”_

Murdoc shook awake, the scream dying at his throat. It took him a moment to get his bearings and take in the unfamiliar room. A fucking nightmare? Shaking his head, he slowly rose out of the bed and took in his rumpled clothing. He’d fallen alseep in his clothing to boot, eh? Wiping away the wetness from his eyes, he fumbled into one of his jacket pockets for his cigarettes, hearing movement behind him. Turning around, he saw Hailey slowly sit up and rub at her eyes. “You okay?” she asked sleepily.

Cracking a small smile, he nodded. “Thought I overslept,” he lied. “Just woke a bit panicked.”

She slowly got out of bed and grabbed her own cigarettes from her desk. He watched with mild fascination as she simply crossed the short distance to her window and opened it up to the fresh air. “Don’t say anything to Alicia,” she muttered, lighting a cigarette and exhaling smoke through the screen.

He wasn’t even planning on sticking around long enough for the bitch to wake up, but he also wasn’t quite sure he was ready to vacate and head back to the hotel just yet either. They’d only slept about three hours, the clock telling him it was only around five-thirty in the morning. He pondered over the two of them settling back into bed after the cigarettes and sleeping a little more, but he wasn’t sure he was willing to open himself up to another nightmare. They could always occupy themselves with some more fun activities. There was a solid thought. No matter how tired he was, he was rarely ever too tired to get the hydraulics working properly. He lit himself a cigarette and stood beside her at the window. She looked content and sleepy, peering out at the city around them. He frowned briefly as he watched the sun slowly climb between the skyscrapers. This was probably their last night together. He had every intention of making tonight count, even if it included keeping her secured away in his hotel suite after the show until they all had to check out to catch their flight. Would she be opposed to remaining in touch? Perhaps not very wise if there was something brewing between them, but he’d hate to lose the chance if there was one. She may very well advise that it’s not smart and that would be it.

Hailey stubbed out her half smoked cigarette and turned back towards her bed, shedding her lounge pants and climbing back into bed. He remained long enough to finish his own cigarette before unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans, kicking them off his ankles ungracefully. Dropping into her bed with her, he pulled her against him and rolled so that she was straddled across him. “Let’s play a game,” he whispered with a lecherous smile on his face. “Can you ride m’ cock an’ not make the bed squeak?”

********************************************************

Waiting on the coffee maker to get itself in gear, Alicia rummaged through the pantry and found a box of donuts she’d forgotten about a couple of days ago. Munching on the remaining powdered one, she got her mug out of the cupboard and set it on the counter beside the creamer. The sound of a door caught her ears and Jason emerged into the kitchen, yawning and scratching at his head as he looked around the dark and quiet apartment. “No Hailey yet?”

“No, still in bed,” she whispered as she tapped her fingers impatiently against the courtertop while they waited for the coffee to brew. Couldn’t deny she was a bit envious. Hailey had the whole rest of the week off and all because she couldn’t control her temper. Granted, Gina saved her ass. Blackmailing the board to keep her employment. Gina certainly made a valid point that given the situation, Hailey could easily have sued them into dust for the shit Chloe had put her through, but having to literally use the litigation card just to keep a job seemed pretty low ball. Be thankful, she reminded herself. Hailey was able to hold onto a good paying job. She probably wouldn’t have been able to find another one that good. She made a third more than Alicia and Alicia only knew this because she’d seen a print out of one of Hailey’s paystubs laying on her desk in her room once. Hailey never discussed her finances, even with Alicia pointing out that they both needed to know how much the other made to ensure everything was covered when it came to their shared monthly bills. Hailey simply said as long as they could both cover their half of the bills, that was all that mattered. Their individual incomes were none of the other’s business.

With the carafe finally half-full, Jason poured some into their mugs and set it aside to finish brewing. They drank their coffee in a silence, both of them occasionally looking up at each other. It did feel a bit strange to not have Hailey up already. She had some kind of internal clock and was usually up early even on her days off. After a moment of fleeting glances, Jason finally set his mug aside and veered off down the darkened hall towards Hailey’s room. Alicia continued to drink her coffee, listening as Jason tapped on Hailey’s door. This was soon followed by Hailey’s voice, Jason’s voice and suddenly a third very distinct accented voice chimed in, laughing loudly at something. Alicia glowered into her mug, frozen in place by the kitchen counters as she perked her ears to hear whatever banter being passed around. Hailey had mentioned nothing about that man coming over. And Alicia was pretty sure she’d have awoken if they’d gotten into some dirty bedroom play. Hailey wasn’t quiet. So when did that little roach show up?

Jason emerged from the hallway and resumed his coffee, saying nothing. Alicia frowned, feeling her agitation rise. “He’s here, isn’t he?” When Jason nodded in response, she scoffed loudly and slammed the mug down. Why, just why? She’d made it pretty fucking clear she didn’t like the man and yet Hailey continued to flaunt him under her very nose, like a rebellious fucking teenager who thought she knew everything. “She knows how I feel about him! Why is he here?”

Jason flashed her a dark look, not bothering to hide his own rising frustration. “Who cares, Ali? He’s visiting your room-mate. Not your business.”

“Just _visiting_?” she shot back with a sneer. “Is that what they’re calling it now?”

Murdoc’s gruff voice came from the entry of the kitchen. “Yeah, just _visitin_’.” The sound of his voice nearly made Alicia jump out of her skin, both she and Jason looking directly at him. He was leaning in the entryway, glaring directly at Alicia with both hand stuffed in his pockets. “Your flat-mate pays half her costs, yeah? Half the rent, half the bills, an’ all that other rubbish...So not sure why you think you have any bloody say over who she has over.”

“You can’t honestly expect me to believe you came here just to _visit_ with Hailey.” Alicia stepped forward, locking he eyes with his. He remained in the entry, unmoving, and if Alicia didn’t know better she could almost seen a hint of amusement on his face and this made her even angrier. Practically mocking her in her own home. The strain he was causing between her and Hailey was all a joke to him, a game. It was entirely possible that he led Hailey along solely for that reason. Just to get under everyone’s skin. To cause turmoil. Able to get his rocks off and have a laugh at the same time.

“Not sure what’s so unbelievable ‘bout it,” he said with a shrug as he moved from the kitchen entry towards the coffee-maker, pouring himself a mug. “I actually rather enjoy her company.”

Scoffing loudly, Alicia shook her head. “Of course,” she spat, a humorless laugh erupting from her. “And I’m sure being able to fuck her hours after meeting her didn’t play into that _at all_...”

Chuckling, he raised the mug. “Well, it was definitely a perk, if you must know.” Still chuckling, he set his mug on the counter and folded his arms across his chest, gaze still locked with hers. “Look, not sure what your bloody problem is with me, woman, but you need t’ just mind your fuckin’ business ‘bout whatever me an’ Hailey have goin’ on.”

“She’s been my best friend for twenty years!” she barked shrilly, tossing her still partially full mug into the sink so hard, it bounced and sloshed coffee into the wall behind the sink. “Her life is my fucking business, you little cockroach!” Just where the hell did he get off telling her what to do in her own fucking home? He was the guest – an unwanted one at that – so he needed to keep his fucking mouth shut. Alicia shook her head again, her mind a riot of fury and confusion. Whispers of reason insisted Hailey had it all under control, but another part of her kept pointing out that Hailey would never have gotten where she was if not for Alicia’s guidance. If Hailey truly had it under control, she wouldn’t allow herself to be used and abused by degenerates who got off on hurting people.

Jason was suddenly in front of her, motioning her backward. “Seriously, Ali, you need to back off now. Hailey told you days ago to leave this alone. He’s telling you to leave this alone. It doesn’t concern you!” Alicia blinked up at him, confused at the strange expression on his face. He looked both irritated and even concerned. Still moving her back towards the living room, he kept his voice low and steady. “Time to sit down and cool off before you say or do something you regret, Ali.”

His strange and patronizing tone infuriated her. Nobody was listening! They all acted as if she were the one in the wrong! She tore herself from his grasp, wailing as she stormed into the living room. Why weren’t they taking her seriously? She had valid concerns and everyone was acting like she was nuts! A door was heard from the hallway and suddenly Hailey’s voice could be heard in the kitchen, talking in a low voice with that roach. Laughing at her, probably. Mocking her. “There’s something very fucking wrong with the both of you!” she shrieked. “Damaged fucking goods who can only latch onto other damaged goods!” Taking a few breaths, she slowly regained her composure and briskly walked back into the kitchen, seeing Hailey standing beside Murdoc with her own cup of coffee, now looking at her with a cocked eyebrow. Alicia scanned over her face, the woman’s expression mostly unreadable. She hated that blank and cold expression! Where was the emotion? Everyone else was looking at her with irritation and yet Hailey was simply standing there with a blank expression, cold and walled off eyes boring into her. Examining her. Picking her apart. “You can’t even reflect correct emotions!” Alicia barked, becoming more infuriated when Hailey merely shrugged her bruised and raw shoulders. Why couldn’t she show emotion like everyone else? Why always be so fucking closed off? Twenty years of helping her and trying to guide her on the right path and still couldn’t bother being fucking normal. “Christ, you’re so fucked up!”

Jason was back in front of her, putting himself between them all. “You need to get yourself under control and cool the hell off!” She couldn’t recall any time before where he’d sounded so angry. Glowering at her and using his hands to keep her from diving around him to get to the pair still lingering at the coffee pot. Couldn’t he see they were mocking her? He huffed loudly and took hold of her arms, gently but still forcefully navigating her back into the living room. “Hailey has told you more than once to leave it alone. You need to drop this and drop this now!”

“I’m her friend and I need to look out for her!” she wailed as tears fell. “Hailey is too broken to know what’s good for her! She’ll just continue to lead a screwed up life and latch onto someone else who’s screwed up and god help any fucking kids she has! She needs me to keep her from fucking her life up! She’s too fucked up to even realize when she’s being used!”

Hailey stepped out into the living room, her expression still flat, cold eyes now scanning her over carefully. With each slow step forward, Alicia took a step back, whimpering as Hailey’s gaze continued to bore into her. Why couldn’t she understand that Alicia only wanted what was best for her? As Hailey got closer, her flat expression shifted into a look of disgust. “You think I’m too fucked up to lead a good life without you there to hold my fucking hand?” Her icy tone made Alicia flinch back. Hailey continued to close in, almost sneering when she finally stopped a few feet away. “You really think you’re so fucking important that I rely on you to live my life?”

“You were so broken when I met you!” Alicia moaned, tearing her eyes away from the icy gaze mere feet away. “Everyone could see it. You never looked at the world like a normal person and you needed me to help you learn how.” Why were they all staring at her like she was the fucked up one? It was Hailey and that little roach! She was normal. She was raised right and used her upbringing as a tool to show Hailey how you were supposed to live. Jason was shaking his head in disgust. Hailey was staring at her and not bothering to hide her fury. The roach was merely watching everything from the kitchen, clearly a little stunned at what was unfolding. She glared past Hailey, her eyes locked on Murdoc. “You started this, you fucking sleaze! This is all your fault!”

Hailey was suddenly just inches from her, glaring up at her and almost vibrating from her anger. “No, Alicia, you were the one to start this,” she hissed icily. “Instead of minding your fucking business, you just had to continue to poke your nose into my life. You refuse to listen. You refuse to accept that I liked my life the way it was. It was not your job to _guide me_, or whatever the fuck you want to call it. Christ, if I was blind to anything in my life, it was not seeing your so-called _friendship _for what it was – a fucking fraud.”

Jason’s voice broke through the tension. “Not going to lie, Ali, but I have to side with Hailey on this. You didn’t become her friend because you liked her enough to be her friend, you simply used it as a tool to manipulate her and try to mold her into what you wanted her to be.”

“Because she wasn’t normal!” Alicia snapped, wiping the still falling tears from her eyes. “Because god only knows what kind of fucked up life she would have gotten into if not for me! I kept her on the right path! She’s broken and deranged. She’ll never be able to have the kind of life normal people like us will have!” Reaching out, she yanked on Hailey’s bathrobe, exposing the marks. “What makes you think you could ever have the kind of life people like me are supposed to have when you flaunt your disgusting sex play like this? Think CPS will let you keep any kids you have when they find out the kind of sick shit you like?”

Hailey swatted her hand away, still glaring daggers. “The only one who’s fucked up right now is _you_, you self righteous cunt,” she snarled through bared teeth. “Your parents fucked you up by thinking everything has to fit in a pretty little fucking box. You continued to be confined by that box, even as an adult when most people see their parents’ bullshit for what it is. It blows your tiny little fucking mind that people do live their lives outside of that box to some degree.”

“You just tell yourself that to make yourself feel better for being a stupid, selfish fucking whore!” Alicia barked. How dare this little bitch criticize her parents and how they brought her up. They brought her up correctly and raised her with the right tools to get through life. She could feel her fury building, blind to the steely green eyes that continued to glare up at her. Mind reeling, Alicia took a small step backwards, glaring back at Hailey as the words came pouring out of her mouth. “At least my parents didn’t off themselves to get away from me like yours did! I’m sure your folks would’ve been so fucking proud of how you turned out!”

Stunned silence fell through the apartment. Hailey’s enraged expression shifted to brief shock before twisting again into anger. Murdoc’s weird little smirk had even collapsed, staring at the two of them with wide eyes. Jason’s mouth fell open, not a sound coming out. Alicia looked to the three others who were all now staring at her in either completely surprised or outright fury. Hailey took a breath, vibrating with her rising anger, yet there was an eerie calm to her voice as she spoke. “You think you’re so fucking normal and perfect? The idea that people live life differently than you just blows your fucking mind! And since you want to drag my sex life into this bullshit...holy fuck, I can only imagine how fucking thrilling your sex life must be. Do you just lay there like a dead fish, waiting for dude to blow his load? Maybe you grunt a little to make it sound like you’re into it?”

“My sex life isn’t your business!” Alicia snarled.

“_Then leave mine out of it_!” Hailey roared back. “Such an uptight asshole. Maybe you do need to take a dick up it so you can fucking loosen up!”

Alicia’s arm moved on impulse, her hand connecting hard with the side of Hailey’s face. “Disgusting little bitch!” she snapped. When Hailey’s enraged expression shifted to shock, she brought her hand back again, striking the other side of her face. Alicia blinked, drawing back as the look of shock on her friend’s face twisted into fury before lunging at her with a snarl, practically leaping onto her. Everything felt like slow motion, Hailey suddenly clinging to her as she fell backwards, Jason’s voice yelling something she couldn’t quite make out, Hailey’s fists suddenly striking at her face, the woman’s words nothing but strangled sounds of rage. Bringing her hands up to defend herself, she locked a hand to Hailey’s bruised throat, squeezing down as the woman continued to rain blows down onto her.

Alicia cried out, one hand trying to strike, the other locked onto Hailey’s throat, hoping to put as much distance between Hailey’s fists and her body as possible. How could she be so strong? The blows were finding target, fists crashing into her face and her neck. Alicia flailed her free arm out, only catching a blow in here or there, Hailey managing to dodge the majority of swings. Another blow. Another. Alicia could taste blood in her mouth. Hailey’s face loomed over her, the only evidence that Alicia’s blows made any connection being a scratch on her cheek and a blooming bruise just above her temple. Through the chaos, she could see both Jason and Murdoc rushing into the scuffle, the two men grabbing Hailey and hauling her off of Alicia. Hailey was wild, lashing out and squawking obscenities. “Hit me again, bitch, and I’ll fucking _destroy you_!”

Murdoc was dragging the still furious Hailey down the hall towards her room. The two men exchanged looks, Murdoc saying something about removing her to get her calmed down. Jason turned his attention to Alicia, standing over her with a look of disgust on his face. Panting, Alicia reached up as she tried to slowly get to her feet. When he didn’t move to assist her, she frowned. “Really, Jason? Who’s side are you on, anyway?”

He shook his head, a weird noise coming from him as he looked her over. “I’m on the side of the person who just stood there and took your abuse for far longer than any normal person would.”

“Were you deaf to the horrible things she said about me and my parents?” she demanded hotly, hating the metallic taste in her mouth. Her entire face hurt. It fucking throbbed. “She had no right talking about my parents like that! Saying they fucked me up?” Fucking hell, her face hurt. Hailey had lost completely control and all over a couple of well-deserved slaps? She had a right mind to call the police on Hailey. Stick it to her really good. Miss out on the concert and her last night with that fucking cockroach. “I’m gonna call the police on her. Teach her how shit is handled in civilized society. See how she likes missing that precious concert she whored herself out for.”

Jason stared at her, his mouth twitching a bit before settling into a sneer. “You’re gonna leave it alone, Alicia. You’re going to leave her alone, too. It’s over. Call the cops on her and I’ll make sure they’re well aware of who started that fight.”

“But she said those shitty things!” Alicia protested, refusing to believe her ears. Would he really side with that unstable little mess over his own girlfriend? “If she hadn’t said those things, I wouldn’t have had to hit her! She deserved it!”

Shaking his head again, he turned and made his way towards Alicia’s bedroom. “And telling her that her parents offed themselves to get away from her wasn’t shitty?” he asked over his shoulder. “Mocking her private life as if it’s your business? Telling her that she’s too fucked up to have a normal life?” He gathered a few belongings, slinging them into his gym bag. She stood in the doorway, watching as he gathered up his things. “Not going to lie, Ali, I love you to bits...but Hailey’s right. You never were her real friend. That’s pretty fucked up.”

Alicia waved her hand dismissively. She felt a little calmer and with this calmness came some brief clarity. She had said some horrible things, yes, but Hailey needed to hear them to understand just why Alicia did what she did to help her. And once Hailey got sorted out, she’d understand. She’d have to understand! She wouldn’t throw away twenty years of friendship over a single argument and fight. “Once she calms down, she’ll realize who’s right and who’s wrong. Probably apologize to me by tonight.”

Jason glanced up at her as he finished packing up his belongings, a clear look of confusion on his face as he scanned her over carefully. “Not sure what is going through your head right now, but I am pretty sure this isn’t going to blow over in a day. You’re the one in the wrong, Ali and it’s a shame you’re so deluded with yourself that you refuse to see it. Don’t be shocked when Hailey washes her hands of you.”

“I’m the only friend she has,” Alicia protested, folding her arms across her chest.

A humorless laugh erupted from Jason as he skirted around her to get through the door, setting his bag near the front door of the apartment. Grabbing his abandoned coffee mug from the kitchen, he finished his coffee casually. “Not anymore.”


	10. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

Hailey sat at the edge of her bed, slumped over with her arms resting on her knees. It had been hours since the fight and she still wasn’t sure exactly what she planned to do. After Murdoc had dragged her back to her room, she’d finally managed to calm down a bit and spent another hour chain-smoking with her window opened up. He had offered to let her kick it at the hotel suite if she needed to be away from the apartment but she’d declined. It had been bad enough he was there when everything went down and had to help Jason intervene. She wasn’t about to impose any further on him when he most likely had a great deal to do through through the day leading up to the evening show. She had some decisions to make and hanging out with Murdoc and fucking away the morning in his hotel suite would only delay those inevitable decisions. He did eventually depart, but not before verifying that she’d still be attending the concert and available to meet up afterward. That certainly wasn’t changing. Of course she’d still be there. She just had to figure out her next steps from this day forward because it was going to be a cold day in hell before she remained in this apartment another week with that woman.

Alicia’s words had cut deeper than Hailey had anticipated, but she was still too damned angry to pick apart that hurt and examine it. It also seemed that Alicia was in some next level denial over what had unfolded and seemed to imply that Hailey and Murdoc were at fault for this, which only infuriated her more. Hailey was pretty sure any residual hurt over Alicia’s cutting words would evaporate soon because it seemed that the woman was hell bent on completely absolving herself of any fault. Even going as far as to tell Hailey that if she had only done as Alicia wanted, this would never have happened. The bitch had gone off her fucking rocker, that’s what. Like some controlling and abusive partner, twisting the fight into something else and placing the blame on Hailey’s shoulders. So it was her fault Alicia went fucking bonkers and said horrible things because she didn’t listen to Alicia? Hailey was supposed to worship the ground she walked on for helping her become normal? Supposed to be hunky dory with her interfering with her life? Take heed in her demands when she didn’t care for a particular partner Hailey hooked up with?

“Fuck that,” she muttered under her breath as she pulled her laptop over and booted it up. There’d been a few rental listings that caught her eye and were bookmarked. One was a studio apartment for half the price of the current apartment. She wasn’t quite on board for a studio, but it was pretty spacious and actually quite nice. Not like she had a ton of furnishings. Her bedroom stuff, the television in the living room, a side table and the dining table. More than adequate. Not to mention, the square footage of the studio as big as the current apartment. Thousand square feet. The layout itself was also appealing because the area for the bed was on a raised part of the unit, almost like a loft.

Downside was the studio wouldn’t be available until the beginning of December. She’d have to wait a month before she could move in. She wasn’t exactly on board with sitting in this fucking apartment a month while Alicia continued to be a condescending bitch towards her or – which was even more infuriating – acted as if nothing had happened at all. Hailey would probably snap! There were always those extended stay hotels, but that shit was expensive and she’d have to put most of her belongings in storage. Chewing her lower lip, she emailed the property management about the unit, hoping she could maybe put a deposit on it within a day or so to hold it and then figure out what to do from there.

Closing the laptop, she let out a heavy sigh and lit another cigarette. The management would come apart at the seams knowing someone was smoking in one of their units, but she no longer gave a flying fuck. Alicia could deal with that aftermath once Hailey took her name off the lease and made her departure. Rising from the bed, she went towards the window to look out at the skyline. It was still early enough, the sun managing to peak out through the steel grey clouds high above the apartment building. Little past noon. Seven hours until the concert. Hailey had been hiding in her room on and off for the last four and a half hours. She was hungry but didn’t want to be out there in the kitchen or living room in case Alicia came out in another desperate attempt to talk to her or browbeat her.

With hunger finally getting the better of her, she put her cigarette out and emerged from her room. She moved quietly, closing her door without a sound and making her way towards the kitchen. If anything, look for something small to snack on to hold her over so she could get ready and just find somewhere else to get some lunch. Grabbing a soda from the fridge, she rummaged around the cupboard and pantry a bit until she spotted a pack of snack crackers. Not quite what she was looking for, but it would work. Snatching up the package, she froze when she heard Alicia’s door open and the sound of her step on the laminate floors. She remained frozen in place even as she heard Alicia pause just inside the kitchen. After a lengthy silence passed, Alicia finally cleared her throat. “You’re seriously still going to the show even after all the trouble he caused?”

“Yes,” Hailey said curtly, opening up the crackers and shoving two into her mouth. From behind her, she heard Alicia sigh in irritation. Even without looking at the blond, she could practically read the woman’s demeanor and it just made Hailey’s hackles go up. “If you plan another fucking lecture, just save it.”

Alicia sighed again and took a few steps closer to her. Hailey turned slowly, still chewing on her crackers, watching as the taller woman looked her over. Shaking her head, Alicia spoke softly. “This is what I mean...damaged goods latching onto damaged goods.”

“Just stop right there,” Hailey warned, holding her hand up. “First, you should be happy I’m even fucking speaking to you right now. Second, he has shit to do with the fact that you’re a jealous asshole control freak who can’t seem to grasp when she keeps putting more nails in her fucking coffin.”

“You know I’m right,” Alicia snapped. “Think about where your life would have gone if I hadn’t become your friend and helped steer you in the right direction.” She moved closer, frowning when Hailey backed up few steps. “You’re being really immature about this, Hailey.”

Hailey let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head in utter disbelief. She didn’t know what was more ridiculous about all of this – the fact that she was continuing to try to lecture her or the fact that this crazy bitch actually believed the bullshit coming out of her mouth. She really truly believed she was like some guardian angel sent from above to protect Hailey from herself and refused to even acknowledge the below the belt blows she’d taken. “Do I need to remind you that you called me a stupid whore, said my parents offed themselves to get away from me and more or less said I was too broken and stupid to be able to survive without your help?”

“If you’d only listened when I said all of this was bad news,” she said in a low voice, the ghost of a smile on her face. “We said some things in anger but we can get past it. Once he leaves, you’ll realize how stupid all of this was and understand I was only looking out for you. Matter of fact, I think it’s best you don’t go to the concert tonight. It will only confuse you more.”

Frozen in place, Hailey stared back at her. Holy-fucking-jumping-jack-Christ, her cheese not only slipped off the entire cracker, it apparently had also dropped down past the fucking foundation! Standing there with that stupid smile, talking to her as if she were her mother and not her friend. Treating her like she was little more than a rebellious teenager and not a grown fucking woman. She couldn’t even believe her fucking ears. Swallowing the chewed cracker, she started to laugh. How could she not laugh? It was too fucking nuts to be real. Alicia’s face twitched in confusion as Hailey laughed even harder. Oh this was something else. Holy fuck, she’d fallen into the fucking Twilight Zone! Where the hell is Rod Sterling? Or maybe she was on some kind of hidden camera prank show? Hello, Ashton, you out there? Go ahead and tell me I’m Punk’d! Tears sprang to her eyes as she continued to laugh, setting the package of crackers aside and laughing so hard she was almost gasping for breath. “Oh my god,” she wheezed as she stumbled towards the living room. “You’re fucking nuts! And here I thought you were just a patronizing bitch, but you’re bonafide insane!”

“Just because I live my life the right way doesn’t mean I’m insane!” Alicia protested, following her into the living room. “Now call him up and tell him you can’t make it. We can do a movie night and talk about what needs to change.”

“No way,” Hailey snorted, trying not to laugh further. Reason said she probably shouldn’t be laughing if this bitch was completely going off the deep end. Last thing she wanted was to miss the concert because bitch decided to stick an ice-pick in her back. “You are more than welcome to hang around and stew in your delusions. I’m going to a concert and then I’m going back with him to his hotel suite and we’re going to fuck each other’s brains out. Maybe I’ll record it and send it to you!”

“You’re not going to that show, Hailey,” Alicia warned. “If you know what’s best for you, you’d stay here!”

“Go fuck yourself,” Hailey said through another chuckle as she wandered back towards her bedroom. She paused just outside her door, peering back at the now red-faced Alicia. “Oh, you might want to ring up Jason and see if he wants to move in. I’m not sticking around. Already waiting to hear back about a studio across town. If I have to stay at a hotel for a month or two to get away from you, I will. You’re slipping, Alicia. Bordering on some Single White Female shit.”

“You can’t move out!” Alicia shook her head in shock. “Where do you think you’ll go? You won’t be able to afford a place here on your own!”

“I’m not even going to indulge this conversation any further,” Hailey muttered with a dismissive wave of her hand. She was done because clearly Alicia was so far gone there would be no way to reach her with any logic. She’d convinced herself she was superior to Hailey and this somehow gave her a right to dictate her comings and goings. It was strange as fuck, especially because she’d never acted like this prior. Or had she? Was it possible that there’d been little indicators through the years? Something small enough to escape Hailey’s notice? And if there were signs, what was finally the breaking point? Had it been seeing Hailey with the musician? Had it been the argument? Had it been the realization that she had nobody in her corner while she’d insulted Hailey’s very existence? Even Jason had called her out on the shit she’d been saying. He usually stayed out of shit whenever they had disagreements over things, but this time around there’d been no escaping it because Alicia had pulled out both barrels of fucking crazy.

Hailey could admit it was mildly fascinating being an audience to what was clearly some kind of mental break, but understood enough to know that the best solution was to remove herself from the equation. Remaining would only continue to feed into Alicia’s delusions and she was not going to be a party to this woman’s complete break from reality. Perhaps once she realized Hailey was gone and no longer willing to tolerate her any further, she’d seek the help she so desperately needed. It wouldn’t change the fact that Hailey was done and walking away from the trainwreck taking place, but at least the woman might actually seek help and work on healthier friendships.

She acted more like a controlling partner than a friend and this was probably the most puzzling part of the entire scenario. Hailey had little doubt that Alicia had – for reasons that escaped Hailey – become jealous of the time spent with Murdoc, but the jealousy had evolved into something much more twisted. Willing to degrade Hailey’s entire life and then demand she follow her orders like a good little soldier? Acting as if Hailey owed her? _She _was the one who approached Hailey that spring afternoon nineteen years ago. _She _was the one who insisted they hang out even though they had shit in common. Hailey had gone along with it because friendships had been hard to come by with all the moving, school changes and ridicule. She certainly had found Alicia a little annoying with her constant sunny disposition but at the same time, found her interesting enough to follow around. Curious about how the other half lived, as they say. A learning experience, she’d told herself. Over time, she began to enjoy hanging out with Alicia and they certainly had their fair share of fun once they were in their twenties. When did this friendship warp into something else in Alicia’s head? Had she always felt that way or had it been a recent phenomenon?

Didn’t matter anymore, now did it? Alicia’s true colors had been revealed and Hailey was ready to move on to other pastures. If it meant hanging around alone in a studio apartment, so be it. When she was ready to seek new friendships, she’d adapt accordingly to blend in and go from there. One perk to growing up in hell holes your entire life, you learn to be a chameleon and blend with your surroundings. Or maybe that was just her? She’d studied enough over the years to know what needed to be said and done to blend in and had mastered it reasonably well. If she could do it as a kid, she’d fucking ace it as an adult.

“Hailey!” Alicia called through her closed bedroom door, rattling the locked knob. “Open the door and talk to me. You need to think before you act. You’re not going to throw away two decades of friendship over a man!”

“_I’m_ not throwing it away over a man, idiot,” Hailey hissed loud enough for her to hear. “_You_ threw it away when you decided to insult every part of me that makes me who I am. So fuck off!”

It took several minutes, but Alicia finally moved away from the door. Sighing, Hailey gathered together some clothes. Pausing with the clothing in her arms, she dropped them to the bed and went back to her purse. Given the strange turn of events, locking the ticket and backstage pass up in her filing cabinet might be a good plan. If Alicia was convinced she was saving Hailey, or whatever the fuck she wanted to call it, she wouldn’t put it past the woman to try to take the items and destroy them. Maybe look into installing a locking knob onto her bedroom door to keep Alicia out while she got alternative living arrangements sorted out. Christ, this really was turning into quite the fucking day wasn’t it? Having to barricade her bedroom like Fort Knox because the roomie had a psychotic break! Not the first time Hailey had to put up living with mentally unbalanced people, but at least this time she’d have the means and the choice to leave. No longer forced to remain someplace because nobody was willing to believe you when you tried telling them something was wrong. After making sure the cabinet was locked back up tight, she gathered up the clothing she planned to wear and ventured out towards the bathroom so she could shower and get herself ready to head out and find a place to get some lunch. Maybe take in a movie, if she had time. She’d have to come back to retrieve the ticket and pass, but at least now she could go out and do whatever and not have to worry too much.

*******************************************************

Pausing mid-verse in the song, 2D looked over at the Cyborg. They’d been working on a sound check, going over a final cut of Rhinestone Eyes when the Cyborg made a noise and powered down, frozen in place with the Gibson still in its hands. He cast a nervous glance over at Murdoc, who stopped playing almost immediately and briskly walked over to the machine, giving it a hard kick in its backside. The other musicians looked on at this spectacle and 2D wondered if this was going to be it. The final bit of weirdness witnessed that would lead them to asking the right kinds of questions. But as the Cyborg picked up where it left off, Cass merely shrugged and picked back up the drums. Mick and Paul exchanged a few looks, but also resumed playing as if nothing happened. Shaking his head, he tested the beat of the music before resuming his singing. Surely they were all catching on that things were not as they seemed. They would have had to after the last few fiascoes. His mad attempt at running again, the Cyborg breaking down outside the arena and Murdoc causing a massive commotion as he kicked at the blasted thing and hurled curses at it. And now the android shutting down mid-set when the show was now mere hours away. Four hours now and it seemed that the closer it got to this show, the more problems that cropped up.

Upon finishing the set, instruments were set aside in their respective places and the musicians all started to trickle out. Murdoc made a point to give the Cyborg another hard kick, hurling a few condemnations at it as he lit another cigarette, followed quickly with shooting up his middle finger towards the staff member who’d arrived in time to bark about Key Arena being a non-smoking establishment. 2D shook his head, unsure of whether or not he should say something because surely all of this had to be wearing the man further down. But he seemed amazingly calm, smoking his cigarette casually and looking around the arena with a small smile on his face. He’d arrived at the hotel in time to snag some breakfast before heading back up to his suite to shower up and get ready for the afternoon’s sound check. 2D didn’t ask where he’d gone, the smell on his clothes the same scent 2D had been smelling for days now. Soft and feminine, not overpowering in any way. Most likely whatever perfume or scented stuff the Hailey woman used because the odds of the man hooking up with another woman who wore the same scent would have been astronomical.

After standing there in silence, Murdoc finally cracked a smile. “Sounded stellar, mate. We’re goin’ t’ rock this arena down t’ its foundations!” His mood definitely seemed better than yesterday, even with possible disaster looking him in the face just moments ago. And 2D couldn’t recall the last time he’d seen a genuine smile on Murdoc’s face. Not in years, it seemed. Catching 2D’s stare, Murdoc looked over at him, the smile faltering just a bit at the corners. “Whatya starin’ for? We’ve got this, man.”

“Juss worried ‘bout the Cyborg, Muds,” he said as he put the microphone back into its stand. “Seems like the malfunctions are happenin’ more an’ more. What if it does it durin’ the show?”

“Cross that bridge when we get there, Dents.” The bassist turned towards the Cyborg, gesturing for it to get moving. As Murdoc followed it towards the back of the stage, he paused and looked over his shoulder. “I’m thinkin’, Dents....thinkin’ this might be the last album an’ tour we do for a while. I’m fuckin’ exhausted an’ just dun’ have the patience for all the bullshit that goes with tourin’ an’more.”

“You can’t be serious...” 2D wasn’t sure if he’d heard correctly. “For real, Muds?”

“Did I stutter, dullard?” Murdoc asked gruffly, stubbing his half smoked cigarette out with the bottom of his boot. “Reckon you probably want t’ reach out t’ your folks, sentimental fool that you are.”

2D blinked, feeling the burn of tears and a tightness in his throat. Was Murdoc really ready to throw in the towel and let him go? After two years of living under the man’s iron fist, he wasn’t sure whether he should laugh or cry at the mere thought of freedom. Such a thing seemed like a pipe dream now, especially with every attempt at escape circumvented by the man and the android. He swallowed back the lump in his throat and let out a strained sigh. “So when dis is over, I can go home? Back t’ m’ Mum an’ Dad?”

“Suppose so,” Murdoc huffed, gathering his jacket and motioning for the singer to follow. “This tour was more of a headache than I wanted. I’m gonna turn off m’ cell phone an’ take a lengthy holiday...for the next decade.”

“What ‘bout da Hailey bird?” 2D asked as he followed behind him. “Finkin’ of keepin’ in touch? Might be nice for ya. I know you fancy her more den you’re lettin’ on, Muds.” He also rather liked the fact that the man wasn’t hell bent on torturing him as much. As long as he was occupied with the girl, he was less inclined to be an arsehole because he was bored.

“What ‘bout her?” Murdoc asked over his shoulder as they followed the Cyborg down the corridor towards the exit. “I told you it was a short term thin’, yeah?” He sighed as they pushed their way through the double doors, blinking at the bright and overcast sky. “Maybe in a year or two, I’ll come back through an’ see what she’s been up t’, but right now just isn’t a good time for either of us.”

Something about his tone told the singer to leave the subject alone but he couldn’t help being curious about it. Murdoc clearly had taken a bit of a shine to the woman and was trying to keep up his usual dismissive demeanor. Opening his mouth to speak, not a word escaped and he realized that pushing the issue might trigger the bassist’s astronomical temper and he wasn’t sure he wanted to be on the receiving end of the man’s fists because he couldn’t leave well enough alone. Pushing Murdoc to open up about anything in his private life was pretty much playing Russian Roulette. “Sorry t’ hear dat, mate,” he said finally as they crossed the distance towards the waiting car. “Shame, really. She seemed kinda good for ya.”

Murdoc paused at the car, looking at the singer strangely as he ushered the Cyborg into the backseat. 2D merely flashed a sad smile at him as he climbed in behind the android. Murdoc followed shortly, closing the door behind him. The nondescript black Lincoln had been arranged by the record label, of course, used to transport them back and forth between the hotel and arena. 2D didn’t mind being chauffeured around since driving in a new city always did a number on his nerves. He did have to keep reminding himself that this particular tour had been a different animal altogether, but he was feeling a lot better than he had in months. Knowing that once they were done, he’d be free to go made these final stops and Murdoc’s short leash bearable.

Murdoc was looking out the window, watching the downtown area crawl past them as the car slugged through the heavy mid-afternoon traffic. The Cyborg appeared to be staring out the other window and 2D found himself wondering just how the Cyborg took in the scenery around it. He hated the weird silence, sitting between both the android and Murdoc. He wanted to speak up but wasn’t sure what he wanted to say. Did he have something to say or was he just seeking to break the silence? When the hotel could be seen in the distance, 2D turned to Murdoc, finally unable to keep silent. “Ask her t’ come wiff?”

Murdoc blinked, slowly turning his head to stare at him. 2D found himself shrinking back suddenly, now scared he’d hit the wrong button with the bassist, but the man merely shook his head before returning his gaze to the street. “I’m not gonna discuss this with you, mate. Drop it.”

Hanging his head, 2D merely nodded and said nothing further. He thought it had been a brilliant idea, really. Why not ask her? Murdoc clearly liked her enough to keep going back to see her. While he hadn’t gotten much chance to really interact with her enough to get to know her, he could only imagine she was sharp enough to keep Murdoc keen on her. He could have easily helped himself to hundreds of willing fans through the several days they’d been in the city but he’d continued to seek her out. To her place of employ, to her home, dragging her along with him to that costume party. He wasn’t trying to hide it but at the same time tried to brush it off and dismiss it. The mood improvement was probably one of the biggest give-aways that something was different because the singer had witnessed this improved mood once before, though it now seemed like ages ago.

He hadn’t spoken the woman’s name in at least five years. Murdoc had never allowed it. Uttering her name had been taboo once the relationship had ended. 2D had never known the reasons for the relationship ending and could only assume it had something to do with any one of Murdoc’s thousands of various personality flaws. Couldn’t remain faithful. Shitty temper. Willing to drink or snort anything that would make him feel good. Hell, for all he knew, the relationship ended because of every single one of those flaws. Whatever the reasons, it was clear the end had taken the wind out of Murdoc’s sails, no matter how much he’d tried to hide it. Everyone had liked her. She’d complimented him in ways the other band members never thought possible. It had been a pleasant couple of years. Then she was gone and Murdoc had gone on a full blown bender, completely wasted most days and fucking every woman that crossed his path when he wasn’t.

It all seemed so long ago now, especially with all the chaos Murdoc had gotten himself into over the course of the following years. He’d gotten himself involved with some shitty and shady dealings, tried to fuck over groups you just didn’t fuck over and walk away from, most likely cost their guitarist her life and had been mostly running ever since. 2D frowned as the car came to a stop just outside the hotel. Maybe having her come with wasn’t such a brilliant idea? Not if Murdoc had people out for his head. Then why the hell was he being dragged along for this bullshit ride? Wasn’t that putting him in danger too? Not to mention, Murdoc was generally protective of his investments and he saw the singer as a good investment. Stu was the singer, was he not? Can’t make more Gorillaz albums if he ends up getting his singer killed while touring and half arsed running from a pirate group!

A few pedestrians stopped to watch as the musicians climbed out of the car and pushed their way through the hotel lobby doors. Murdoc gave a few curt nods to a couple of fans who’d called out to them, but otherwise was focused on on reaching the lift. 2D smiled and waved to them, hoping they weren’t too put off by Murdoc’s anti-social stance. Luckily, the fans were just happy to be noticed and had run off giggling away. The Cyborg didn’t even acknowledge them as it followed the two men into the lift, Murdoc slapping the button to their floor. “Few hours t’ go, mate,” he muttered, cracking a small smile.

“Flight leaves tomorrow, yeah?” 2D asked softly, toying with a loose thread on his shirt.

“Late evenin’, I believe,” Murdoc said as he pinched an unlit cigarette between his teeth. “So we’ll have some time t’ rest up before checkin’ out.”

When the lift deposited them onto their floor, Murdoc gave a gruff demand of the Cyborg to follow 2D before disappearing into his room without another word and leaving the baffled 2D standing out in the corridor with the android. Pausing with his key card in the door, 2D peered over at the other door and shook his head. Moody fucking tosser, he was. This tour ending would be a good thing for them both, no doubt. He cast a curious glance at the Cyborg, wondering what would become of this thing once Murdoc decided to take an extended holiday. Would he have it destroyed? Bodyguard or not, it surely would look odd to other holiday-goers if he was out gallivanting in some sunny holiday spot with that wretched thing on his heels. Actually, the thought made 2D giggle a little. Imagine that – Murdoc in a pair of swim trunks or a speedo, running across a beach with his little robot bodyguard lock stepping behind him. Of course, knowing the bassist, his idea of a holiday spot would involve a dodgy motel with a cheap bar and access to an escort service.

Grinning to himself, he dropped into a chair and grabbed the remote. One thing he was definitely looking forward to once this nightmare tour ends was the endless train of willing arse he was going to get his hands on the moment he walked the streets a free man. He’d definitely reach out to his Mum and Dad first and foremost, but after being denied physical release for so long, he just wanted to be cuddled up to a woman and feel her skin beneath his fingers and lips on his body. She could be thin, athletic or even a bit chubby for all he cared. He was never picky in that regard because they all brought great things to the moment. Just thinking about what he was going to soon have access to brought some pleasant tingles and warmth. A month to go, that was it. A fucking month. Thirty days, give or take. Soon he’d be free.

************************************************

Shoving the ticket and pass into her purse, Hailey made one last round through her bedroom to ensure she’d grabbed everything. She’d had a peaceful afternoon of lunch with Gina and followed this by a solo theater run to watch a film she’d been wanting to see. As luck would have it, the property management for the studio apartment she’d inquired about reached out and she’d even been able to take a look at it before hitting up the theater. The apartment building was super close to her office and full of much newer amenities. It was still being cleaned and getting some fresh coats of paint, but she could move in as soon as mid-November. Upon returning from her peaceful afternoon, she’d been quick to shower and change her clothes again. And as she assumed, Alicia had been through her bedroom. The desk drawer was ajar and even the locking file cabinet had been messed with. Talk about sinking to new lows. She’d truly attempted to go through her room and find the ticket and pass in an effort to keep Hailey from going. Shit was bordering on scary as fuck at this point and an extended stay hotel was definitely starting to look pretty good because she wasn’t sure she’d get through the next two weeks in this apartment with the crazy bitch.

Lunch with Gina had proven to be quite entertaining because Gina had been dying to tell her how the day went so far with Chloe finding out that today was her last day working for the agency. She’d immediately ran upstairs to tell her father and had come down red-faced and writhing with rage. Apparently Daddy Dearest more or less told her to suck it up and use it as a learning experience. He’d been appalled once the written statements and video had been presented to him. Hailey had found all of this rather funny in the grand scheme of it all. Chloe had desperately run through the office in attempts to file a complaint against Hailey, pushing for the big wigs to fire her too and basically refused to get any work done because she was too busy ranting and raving about how everyone involved was going to pay. Chloe’s employment at the agency ended two hours ago and she was no longer going to be a problem. No more backstabbing vultures trying to suck up to her. No more listening to her high pitched, obnoxious voice as she belittled everyone or ordered everyone around. Gone. Caput.

She’d informed Gina that she would have a new address soon. Sparing Gina the crazier details, she explained that there’d been a massive falling out between her and Alicia and the friendship had ended. Gina never asked for details, though she did express surprise because she knew they’d been friends since they were kids. Hailey assured her it wouldn’t affect things more so than already affected and once she had new digs, she’d update her living quarters right away. It did feel a little weird upon realizing that it was all becoming so final but she’d already mourned the loss of the friendship and needed to move forward. Not all friendships lasted forever.

Sighing, she pinned her hair back with a plain black enameled clip and gave herself one remaining look over. Rose colored top, jeans, boots and her clip. Simple, nice, but easy to get out of once the moment warranted it. Stepping out of her room, she closed it behind her and slowly stepped back out into the living room. Alicia was sitting on the sofa, watching her with red and wet eyes. Had she been crying? Now this was good. Ten points for pulling the oldest female trick in the fucking book. Hailey did her best to ignore the silently crying woman on the sofa, moving into the kitchen to grab a can of soda since she still had some time before she had to leave. She could even feel Alicia’s stare through the wall that separated them. Was she muttering to herself? Sipping from her can of soda, Hailey strained her ears to see if she could pick up what Alica was saying. Whatever it was, it was too low and slurred together for her to pick it apart.

Alicia suddenly uttered a whimper, her voice barely loud enough to hear. “You’re really going? After everything he’s caused, you’re still going to go to the concert and see him afterward?”

“He didn’t cause anything,” Hailey said in a flat and emotionless tone as she stepped out of the kitchen and into the living room. “And yes, I’m still going. I’m rather glad I locked up the ticket and pass seeing you tried going through my room to find them.”

Tears welled in Alicia’s eyes, falling down her cheeks as she took a breath and tried to speak. “I was trying to protect you, just as I always have...”

“Whatever,” Hailey grumbled with a shake of her head. “I’m seriously not going to argue about that anymore. I’m going to the show. You’re not my keeper and you need to quit acting like it.”

“I look out for you!” she said shrilly as more tears fell. “Who protected you all these years?”

Hailey cracked a weird smile, almost laughing as she stepped away from the wall. Engaging in further conversation with this woman would drive her batty. Alicia was completely convinced she was in the right and nothing was going to change that. “You didn’t, but I’m not going to get into this again. I’ve got two weeks before I move and that extended stay hotel is starting to look pretty good from here.”

“You’re really going to throw away our entire friendship and everything I’ve done for you?” There’s was a catch to Alicia’s voice. “You’re really going to move out?”

Nodding her head, Hailey drained the soda and chucked the can towards the recycle bin. “I am, as a matter of fact. I’m not going to stick around so you can continue to degrade me and act like you’re so much better than me. I mean, holy hell, even Jason has told you you’re in the wrong here and you can’t seem to fucking see it.”

“Jason hasn’t been around since the beginning!” she insisted, struggling to control the shake to her voice. “He sees you like he sees everyone else and doesn’t realize that you’re incapable of navigating through life without help.” A weird hiccuping sob erupted from her as she inched closer to Hailey. “You need me to help you, Hailey...”

“You know what I think?” Hailey asked, cocking an eyebrow. “I think you need me, actually. You need me because you feel your life is pointless unless you have what you see as a fix it project. You need me in order to feel like your life has some kind of meaning.”

“That’s not true!” Alicia moaned, shaking her head. “I tried to fix you because I cared and you needed someone to guide you properly.”

“Yeah, I think I’m going to be booking a room at one of the extended stays,” Hailey laughed as she grabbed her keys and shoved them into her bag. “Might want to ring Jason and see if he wants to move in. I’m out as of tomorrow.”

Alicia stood there just a few feet away, tears still falling but a strange expression passing across her face. Hailey regarded her silently, drawing back a few steps so she could cut through the kitchen towards the front door. Alicia moved so quick, Hailey found herself with little time to react, grunting in surprise as Alicia shoved her back away from the door and tried to snatch at her purse. “Gimme the fucking tickets!” she snarled, struggling to unzip the bag as Hailey continued to jerk backward. Hailey continued to pull backward, keeping the bag taut enough to interfere with the woman’s fingers as she struggled to grab at the zipper. It took a few seconds for Hailey’s mind to process what was happening, the fight of flight reflex kicking into gear. Yanking the purse out of Alicia’s grasp, she used the woman’s forward motion to pull her off balance, sending Alicia crashing to the floor.

“Jesus Christ, there is something really fucking wrong with you,” Hailey panted as she skirted around through the living room and reaching the door. Alicia was still on the floor, great hiccuping sobs coming from her. Hailey paused at the front door, hoping to get her own shaking under control. Maybe she should call the police and see if they could secure Alicia in the local psych ward for seventy two hour observation. She was clearly falling apart and it was getting worse. “Try to stop me again and I will call the police, do you understand?”

Alicia’s voice cracked through a sob. “Yes...” She slowly raised herself off the floor, practically moaning through her sobs as she wiped at her eyes and struggled to regain some semblance of composure. It was intriguing watching this piece by piece breakdown. Every hour, every minute, things seemed to slip farther and farther apart. Letting out a heavy and strained sigh, she blinked away her tears and turned her attention over to Hailey. “I can’t afford this place on my own. You’re half responsible for this and you’ll need to still pay your share.”

Hailey gave a dismissive shrug. “I won’t need to pay a single penny more towards my half come tomorrow morning. Your inability to afford this place is no longer my problem.” She slipped out the front door and shut it behind her, wincing when Alicia began to wail loudly. The door nor the walls seemed to put in an adequate buffer and soon Hailey heard doors opening all around their floor. She took a breath and started to briskly walk towards the elevator, catching sight of numerous faces who’d poked their heads out to find out what all the commotion was.

Alicia could still be heard wailing away even once she’d reached the elevator. Good god, I hope I have a room and belongings to come back to, Hailey thought dismally. Slapping the lobby button, she let her head drop back against the cool chrome walls with a huff. Though she wasn’t a hundred percent sure if she’d still be responsible for half the living costs in the apartment, she could probably get all of that figured out tomorrow. Just let the management know that she had to leave due to friction within the household and had already gotten new lodgings set up. She’d already paid her share of the November bills for the apartment so putting in her notice to leave and having her name removed off the lease shouldn’t be an issue. If she had to get a lawyer to help navigate the process, so be it.

The parking garage for the apartment residents was a separate structure that technically supplied parking for three total buildings. Locked gates, passcode entries and decorative bars that soared up all five levels and helped keep out car prowlers and petty thieves. She’d been parked on the main level luckily and didn’t have far to go to reach the vehicle. Examining her purse, she frowned as the partially ripped strap and tweaked zipper. What would she have done if Alicia had been able to get to the ticket and pass? She’d never honestly thought that far ahead and the idea of kicking the woman’s ass just to get them back seemed stupid. Shaking her head again, she slowly eased the car out and made her way towards the front gate. No point thinking about it. Alicia didn’t get to them. Now it was time to head out and try to have a good night and not think about the crazy bitch. Tonight was a night to let loose and forget her troubles.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

When the lights dimmed and the musicians trickled out onto stage, the crowded arena went wild. Hailey couldn’t recall ever being at a show where the fans went this fucking bonkers. She could only assume it was because Gorillaz only seemed to pop up every four to five years. New material and a tour were a patient waiting game for fans. Hailey briefly felt like an impostor, realizing that she was surrounded by people who knew their music like the back of their hands when the most she could do was name off a few favorite tracks from the first album and a few other songs that got some significant radio airtime. She’d purchased their first album when it had first came out and that had been about it. Thanks to frequent radio play, she was bored of Clint Eastwood before she’d even purchased the album but had definitely enjoyed M1A1 and Starshine. When Demon Days was released, she had never bothered looking into it because Feel Good Inc had been played ad nauseam.

One thing could be said though and that was that Gorillaz knew how to put on a live show. She found herself on her feet dancing to the Syrian National Orchestra with their opening piece of White Flag and absolutely loved the Hypnotic Brass kicking it off for the title track Plastic Beach. Holy shit, this album was pretty fucking good. Watching them all play on stage had been – pun not intended – hypnotic. Murdoc and Paul were providing deep and gorgeous bass sounds to the songs, breathing new life into Tomorrow Comes Today, another favorite from the first album. The strangely silent and cold Noodle even put on a rather stiff performance of DARE, which did cause some confusion because the vocals were lively, yet Noodle barely moved around. There were some whispered jokes around Hailey about how the band was playing into the gimmicks and Noodle was merely playing a part, but overall the young woman’s lack of enthusiasm was over-shadowed quickly by the beauty of the other sets performed.

The ending set was an explosive version of Clint Eastwood and Hailey had been completely sucked into the music. Bashy and Kano laid their rap down, which had confused Hailey initially because she’d never heard this version before. Regardless, she found herself moving to the music and loving the feel of it all reverberating through her body. The drums, the bass guitars, the orchestra playing in the background. Everything about it was intense and magical and she wasn’t quite ready for this night to end just yet. But it wasn’t going to end, was it? She’d be meeting up with him after the show and after he did a little PR shit with some of the fans who’d managed to get backstage pass meet and greets. She wasn’t sure what they planned to do with her while this happened, but she figured she could wait it out and see.

The lights came back up and soon people were trickling out. Hailey remained in her seat as most of the arena began moving as one towards the various exits. A few people who shared the front row seating cast curious glances at her as they made their way towards exits but otherwise the arena emptied itself a lot quicker than she thought possible and all that remained were a group huddled over near the far left of the stage and some stage hands and arena employees trying to keep the excited group under control. One of the stage hands noticed her still sitting in her chair and approached her from his side of the barrier used to keep people from getting beyond the stage. He was a reasonably large fellow who would have looked more at home as a bouncer in a biker bar than a concert but maybe that was why they hired him? He paused directly across from her and looked her over carefully, spotting the backstage pass that was attached to the lanyard on her neck. Saying nothing, he waved her over and pointed towards the group.

Hailey lingered on the outskirts of the group, counting maybe a dozen heads. There were whispers of excitement and soon a few squeals once a shadow could be seen coming from behind the stage. It was a well dressed woman in a tight skirt suit. She was actually pretty nice on the eyes. Black hair, olive complexion and massive brown eyes. Her hair was tied back in a tight pony-tail without a single hair out of place and Hailey couldn’t help but feel a little envious of this because her pony-tails included numerous frizzy fly-aways that framed around her face, revealing her laziness when it came to taking care of her hair. The woman paused just beside the stage hands, holding a clip board and slowly started counting heads and then counting what Hailey could only assume was a list of names.

More whispers could be heard when another figure came from out of the shadows behind the stage. Hailey watched as the man stepped into the light, revealing himself to be The Clash bassist, Paul Simonon. He whispered something to the woman holding the clip-board and she browsed the list and frowned. Passing the woman a note, she opened it up and looked at it briefly before looking up at the crowd. “Hailey Wilson? Is there a Hailey Wilson here?”

Hailey slowly raised her hand and stepped forward, feeling all eyes on her. Paul flashed a quick smile and gestured for her to follow. The woman in the skirt suit flashed a somewhat cold and stiff smile as one of the stage hands parted the barrier so Hailey could get through. As she followed behind Simonon, she could hear everyone whispering and suddenly felt very exposed. Simonon looked behind him, seeing that she was trailing more and more behind. “C’mon, love, he’ll meet up with you after the PR rubbish. You get t’ hang with us for a spell.”

She said nothing as he led her through a series of hallways that felt like a maze. They were soon climbing stairs and eventually he stopped outside a door, swinging it open and gesturing for her to go first. She stepped into the room slowly, realizing they were in one of the expensive executive boxes that offered reclining chairs, a bar and what appeared to be massive big screen plasmas to watch the show. It was a nice room, no doubt, but she couldn’t fathom paying the arm and a leg they cost just to watch a live show on a television. You could watch the show through the floor to ceiling glass walls, but these executive boxes were half way to nose-bleed and the stage below was practically a speck compared to the seat she’d had. Might not have been a very comfortable seat, but at least it had put her maybe twenty feet from the stage.

Other musicians were in the room, several she recognized and several others she did not. All eyes were on her as she scooted sideways along the counter. Simonon closed the door and offered a chair, which she refused with a silent shake of her head. Her mouth felt dry and for the first time ever, she wasn’t sure what to say or do. Simonon merely laughed and fixed a couple of drinks at the bar. Her eyes fell to the drinks, one in each hand as he approached her and handed her one of the glasses, a friendly smile on his face. “Sit down, get yourself comfortable an’ chat a bit. We’re not gonna bite.”

“Unless you want us to,” chimed in the man she identified as the drummer, Cass. Some of the others started laughing and a few were already working on their own drinks.

Hailey slowly inched over towards the chair originally offered, feeling the low boil of anxiety. How was it she could be so comfortable with Murdoc but was freezing up just in the presence of other musicians? Granted, how often does one sit in the presence of two members of The Clash? She’d been just a kid through their entire career as a band but had enjoyed numerous tracks over the years. Even if her time in foster care had been mostly hell on earth, she could still remember some happier moments in a few good homes. Being maybe four or five years old and dancing to The Clampdown or Rock the Casbah as the songs blared out of one family’s teenage daughter’s room. What had her name been? Rikki? Total punk rocker girl and Hailey had thought she was the coolest person on earth. Rikki’s parents had been good people but ill equipped to handle a foster kid who’d already been through some shit. Hailey only remembered bits and pieces but what little she could remember did make her smile. Rikki had always feigned annoyance whenever her parents were near, but once it was just the two of them, the seventeen year old would bring her into her bedroom and they’d dance to whatever Punk albums she’d had. She’d even helped Hailey memorize some of the songs and was able to sing Rock the Casbah verse for verse in no time.

Rikki would be so jealous now, wouldn’t she? Hailey chuckled in spite of herself, realizing that Rikki would be well into her forties now and probably still rocking out to The Clash, The Sex Pistols and even Generation X. Imagine if I found her, she thought to herself with a smile. Found her and let her know I got to sit next to and talk with Paul Simonon and Mick Jones! She’d had a massive crush on Simonon and had a few posters of him without a shirt, if Hailey remembered correctly. But such was the curse of foster care, right? Once Rikki’s parents had realized Hailey was more than they could handle, she’d been sent off to a new home and was never able to dance and rock out with Rikki again. And as per protocol, the previous home wasn’t allowed to know of Hailey’s new placement. She intentionally avoided thinking about that subsequent home. Blocked out, blacked out and secured behind a million different mental walls. No way was she going to drag that hellish place up in her memory banks.

Jolting back to herself, Hailey shook her head and drained the glass, wincing when the spiced rum hit her tongue. It took a moment to realize she’d lost about a minute of conversation aimed at her, Simonon looking directly at her and smiling as he spoke. She was actually amazed at how soft spoken he was. Pleasant sounding voice. Looking damned good at fifty-ish too. Okay, quick dawdling, and pay attention! Mentally catching up the last snatches of conversation, she realized he’d been talking about Murdoc being in a more tolerable mood and everyone had been glad she’d kept him busy because he’d become an unbearable asshole up until recently. “Isn’t he always an unbearable asshole?” she asked with a smirk.

“Reckon you’re right,” he chuckled, still working on his own glass. From across the room Cass said something that escaped Hailey’s ears and both Simonon and Jones started laughing loudly. Some of the other musicians started laughing too, apparently getting in on the joke. Hailey chuckled nervously along, still confused as to what she’d heard. Simonon, still laughing, reached for her empty glass. “Want ‘nother one?” She nodded, letting him take the glass from her, her eyes still scanning over the faces in the room.

Her heart was still pounding and she’d never been more grateful for Simonon to return with a full glass topped with crackling ice. Thanks to an empty stomach, the high end rum was definitely making her feel a little calmer but it was still quite the awkward meet-up. What does one say when they’re surrounded by fucking rock legends? Hi, how’s the weather? What’s life on the road like? Chuckling to herself, she continued to work on her glass and by the time she’d drank half her glass, she realized she wasn’t nearly as frazzled. Conversation came easier and she was soon chatting away with some of them and even having a chuckle when some of them griped about the whole gimmick situation. They’d grown tired of the three Gorillaz band members insisting on living the storyline when it had caused so much trouble during the shows, but had found it interesting because many had never seen a band do something like this to have fun with fans. Simonon chimed in, saying he didn’t give a toss one way or another – as long as everything went smoothly, that was all that mattered. Cass shot back at him that he didn’t give a damn because Gorillaz and the record label were paying him and Jones handsomely to put up with the bullshit but Cass and everyone else were tired of it. A few others started to nod their heads and voice their agreement with Cass. Simonon merely shrugged and resumed his drink.

A few had questions for her, many wanting to know how the art gallery costume party had went and if she’d been aware that Murdoc had fought tooth and nail against going to the thing. She confirmed that she had indeed known and he’d gotten through it all just fine. She even mentioned that after a few drinks and finally free to do their own thing, they’d spent the evening having a laugh at some of the art installations or people watching. Both Simonon and Cass had more direct questions about her, wanting to know what she did for a living. A few seemed surprised when she explained that she worked as part of payroll and human resources at an ad agency. Hailey discovered that they all knew about her involvement with Murdoc to some degree thanks to the singer telling them all about her. Cass chuckled as he lit a cigarette. “Whatever you’re doin’ t’ keep that tosser calm an’ off our collective balls, please keep it up.”

Conversation died down when noises could be heard outside the door of the executive box. The door opened, both Murdoc and 2D walking in with Noodle following just behind them both. Murdoc made a bee-line towards the bar to fix himself a drink while 2D dropped into a vacant chair. Drink in hand, Murdoc spotted Hailey sitting over near Simonon and started to move in her direction. Instead of taking the only other vacant chair, he sat straight into her lap and threw his free arm around her shoulders, drink in his other hand and not a drop spilt. “Hope these arseholes didn’t bore you t’ tears,” he muttered in her ear. Hailey said nothing, merely giving a small shake of her head. Though his position on her lap wasn’t the most comfortable, she was warm and relaxed. The conversations around them shifted to other things and he tossed out his two cents occasionally, but spent the majority of the time working on his drink and toying with the wide collar of her sweater. She wasn’t sure how much time passed as they all chatted and drank. At some point Cass brought out his cell phone and started snapping pictures. Everyone was laughing and a few took a few cheap shots towards Murdoc, who only responded with his middle finger, his head resting on Hailey’s shoulder as he continued to enjoy the drinks the bar offered. People were starting to trickle out little by little and soon Hailey found herself on her feet with Murdoc leading her out.

Simonon and Jones went off in one direction once outside of the executive box with Murdoc, 2D, Noodle and herself going in another direction. Murdoc walked ahead, taking them through another series of hallways, stairs and the occasional set of double doors. At some point, they found themselves outside just as a black car pulled up at the curb. “There’s our ride,” Murdoc said cheerily as he ushered everybody forward. Noodle went in first, followed by Hailey and then Murdoc with 2D opting to sit in the front seat. The driver seemed confused by the extra occupant but said nothing as he put the vehicle in gear and they started moving. Hailey kept casting curious glances over at Noodle, wondering why she’d been so quiet and why still acting the part or whatever she was doing. Was it because she was in the car with them? The other musicians said something about method acting but just seemed a bit silly honestly. Who cared? Everyone knew she wasn’t really a robot so why continue to act as if she were?

The driver was silent as he took them through the city and towards the hotel. Murdoc offered up some casual remarks about how he thought the show had gone well, enjoyed the accolades he’d gotten from some of the fans he’d bee forced to meet up with and sign autographs for but was ready to call it a day and enjoy what little free time he had left. 2D occasionally chimed in, but was otherwise quiet through the drive. They both seemed pretty tired but at the same time energized. The drive itself was rather mind-numbing but mostly because Hailey had seen many of the same shops and landmarks pass her own car window far too many times. Before she knew it, they were being deposited on the sidewalk outside the hotel and moved as one towards the elevators. A few people looked in their direction while they waited briefly for the car to come down from whichever floor it had been on, but the looks were quick and many just resumed whatever they’d been doing.

Once they reached the floor their rooms were on, 2D and Noodle went into one room while she and Murdoc went into the other. Nothing much about the room was changed, other than the fact that it did seem messier. Clothing and underwear littering the floor, a few take out cartons on the desk. What really caught her eye was the bong on the little side table with the blackened nugget of pot still sitting in the bowl. “You went back to the shop?” she asked with quirky smile.

“That I did,” he responded over his shoulder as he fixed a couple of fresh drinks. “Did have a bit of trouble findin’ someone t’ buy the smoke from. Bloke at the front desk called one of his mates t’ get me some.” Bringing over a couple of glasses, he handed one to her and dropped down into a large overstuffed chair. “Primo stuff, by the way. Can’t go wrong with good green.”

“Hope you didn’t get too much,” she warned with a smile. “Because you won’t be able to get that shit on a plane.” He shrugged in response, finally patting the spot beside him in the chair. She remembered that chair. It had taken the brunt of some of their more adventurous positions that first night they’d hooked up. She seated herself beside him, kicking her feet up on the little ottoman. “It’s been a fun night so far. Hell, been a fun four days minus a few incidents.”

“Your flat-mate, I take it?” he asked with raised eyebrows. “I’d say your mate, but after what unfolded this mornin’, reckon it’s safe t’ say you’re not mates an’more.”

“Yeah.” She paused a moment as she swirled the ice around in her drink. “Sorry you had to see all of that. It was nuts.”

“That it was,” he chuckled, circling an arm around her shoulders. “But arseholes like that show their true colors eventually, love. That blow out was bound t’ happen sooner or later.” Pulling her back so she was resting against him, he shifted in the seat and clinked his glass to hers. “T’ new horizons an’ all that rubbish. You’re free.”

“Not quite yet,” she laughed softly, resting her hand on his thigh. “Still have to get new living arrangements sorted out and I’m stuck dealing with her insanity until then.” It felt stupid, but she wasn’t ready for the night to end because eventually she would have to return back to that apartment. She’d have to return and face more insanity. Trying to ignore it all and avoid the inevitable wasn’t exactly the best approach but fuck it all, she’d really enjoyed her time with him and wasn’t ready to get thrown back into the real world. When he started to shift a bit behind her, one hand on her arm urging her to sit up, he got to his feet and grabbed his cigarettes. He seemed distracted suddenly and Hailey wondered if maybe the choice of conversation had been a wise one. “You probably think you hooked up with a nut,” she said, filling the strange silence.

“It’s not that, love,” he said as he lit his cigarette. “Just got some thins’ on me mind an’ not sure how t’ approach them.” He continued to pace around the room, cigarette smoke trailing in his wake. Every so often he would pause and glance at her but said nothing as he continued to pace. When he finally finished the cigarette, he stubbed it out and was suddenly in front of her, moving her legs from the ottoman and kneeling down between her knees. He said nothing as he took her drink from her hand and set it onto the little table, pulling her towards him. Mouth pressed hard to hers, she felt his arms snake around to hold her against him. Every little problem dancing around in her head faded out as she focused on the feel of his mouth against hers and the tongue that crept through in its own desire to explore. It was a strange mix of rough and soft, mouth working hard against hers, his hands moving beneath the hem of her sweater to touch skin. Pushing her back into the cushions of the chair, he climbed forward, grinding against her hips and groaning into her mouth when she moved her body to meet his. She brought her own hands around, searching for skin beneath his shirt, feeling more heat rise with each weird little whimper from him as she continued to grind against him. Holy shit, they were going to end up mutually blowing loads without ever getting a scrap of clothing off. She was nearing that point, wanting to move faster, grind harder. She almost cried out in protest when he finally broke away and pressed his forehead to hers, his eyes still glazed. “Ever consider travelin’?” he asked in a panted whisper. “Just turnin’ your back on it all?”

********************************************

It had been relatively quiet and 2D wondered if the drinking had caught up to them both and they’d passed out versus whatever other activities they’d had planned. He wasn’t going to complain because it spared his ears of their raunchy noises. It was a decently quiet night and he was simply sprawled across his bed watching the telly with the Cyborg still standing its guard by the door to his room. When they’d arrived at the executive box after the fan meet and greet and he’d spotted Hailey, he’d been a bit surprised. He had known she was planning on meeting up with Murdoc after the show but for some reason, assumed she would be meeting them at the hotel. Yet there she was, talking with everyone and smiling at both he and Murdoc when they’d finally arrived.

The housekeeping staff had replaced the bed with fresh linens and given his tired state, couldn’t resist showering and then dropping into the bed. Nothing better than clean, fresh sheets. He nestled into the blankets and let out a happy sigh. Enjoy the rest of the night, get some decent sleep and then they’d be off to their next stop tomorrow evening. He could even ignore the Cyborg’s cold stare. He grabbed the remote from beside him and surfed through the different channels, soon realizing that there wasn’t much to offer for late night television. The cable packages for the room did include some premium channels, but even those yielded very little. His happy momentarily deflated, he scowled and continued clicking through all the different stations. Not a bloody thing? Weren’t there like a hundred channels?

From Murdoc’s room came the noises he’d hoped he wouldn’t have to hear and they must have been close to the wall because holy hell were they suddenly loud! Wasn’t that where the bathroom in Murdoc’s room was? Were they fucking in the shower? “Oh my god!” he barked, tossing the remote towards the wall. “Christ, move t’ da bloody bed! Nobody wants t’ hear dat!” As if responding, the moans got louder and were soon followed by something thumping against the wall itself. The Cyborg moved its head slowly to the sound, ignoring 2D as he shot off the bed with a cry of annoyance, tearing at his hair. “He has a bed! Why can’t he fuckin’ use it!” At least if they were on the bed, he could turn up the volume and drown their voices out. Pausing in front of the Cyborg, he gestured at the door. “Look, love, I’ll buy you a drink if you let me outa here so I dun’ hafta hear all dat!”

“Quiet, Idiot Singer of Gorillaz,” it said flatly. “You know such things are unnecessary for me. You cannot be trusted to not escape and my orders are to keep you here while Master is occupied with the female.” Scoffing, 2D turned away from it and went to rummage through the little mini-bar. Maybe he could wrangle a drink and knock his arse out so he wouldn’t have to overhear those two as they marathon-fucked the night away. Buried in the back of the little fridge were a couple of shot bottles of vodka – oooh, whipped cream flavor – and a single can of Sprite he’d actually forgotten about from the night before. Hadn’t be snagged two from the vending machine down in the lobby to settle a rotten stomach? Never mind how he got them, he had Sprite and vodka and that was more than enough. Fixing himself the drink, he took a sip and swirled it in his mouth briefly. Tasted a bit like a birthday cake, didn’t it? Damn, should have stocked up. If he’d known this would be such a good combination, he would have grabbed more of them.

He sat down at the foot of his bed and dully watched the television. The Cyborg seemed fixated on the wall, moving towards it slowly. When it froze up briefly, he looked over at it. Frozen mid-step, a weird noise coming from it. Slowly standing up, he frowned. Had it malfunctioned again? It was literally frozen in place, some strange crackling noise heard. When it suddenly started moving again, 2D yelped and leaped backward. Its focus was solely on the wall and the noises coming from the other side. There was nothing different about these noises as they’d both been heard these noises on and off through their stay in the city. The other thing that caught the singer’s attention was realizing that he could still hear that weird crackling sound. “Err...Cyborg?”

His heart plummeted to his guts when the android pulled the handgun from its holster and aimed it directly at the wall. “Master is injured! The female is a threat!”

2D shot to his feet, nearly stumbling as he rushed over towards the wall. “No! No, no, no! He’s not injured! He’s....he’s juss...err..._occupied_.” Holy hell, the last thing he needed was that thing shooting through the wall and killing the girl while Murdoc was pounding into her. Murdoc would probably start screaming like a woman before fainting himself. “He’s not hurt!” he cried out, putting himself between the gun and the wall.

“Not injured?” It cocked its head, looking up at him carefully.

“He’s fine!” he insisted, reaching out a shaking hand and lowering the gun down little by little. “Whatever sounds you’re hearin’, it’s not what you fink!” 2D chewed his lower lip, exhaling loudly when it finally lowered the gun. “Err, Cyborg....you’re programmed t’ detect fings, right? Like when people seek t’ harm Murdoc?”

“That is correct.” It looked up at him as it holstered the handgun. “I am programmed to detect any threats towards Murdoc Niccals, Master Bass Player and God.”

“Right...so you can detect hormone changes? Heart rate? Body heat?” Did Murdoc forget to program in a few key details that might have been necessary? Had the man’s road through celibacy already been underway when he’d built this blasted thing?

It still continued to stare up at him even with its hand lingering over its holstered weapon. “Correct. I am programmed to detect any threat against Murdoc Niccals, Master Bass Player and God.”

Shaking his head, 2D uttered a short laugh. “No, no, not frets...Hormone changes? What is it called? Fer....F...f...Pheromones?” Biting his lip against another giggle, heat flaring to his cheeks, he slowly moved away from the wall. “Robot, what do you pick up whenever your Master or I are near a pretty girl?”

“I detect agitation and a desire to mate with the females.” It slowly backed away from the wall, more strange crackling sounds coming from it as it seemed to listen to the noises coming from the other side.

2D could feel himself blushing more. This thing wasn’t human but the idea that it had picked up both his and Murdoc’s mutual frustrations over not being able to get laid made him uncomfortable. He’d been in close proximity of many beautiful women through the tour, whether they were assistants hired by the record label or even the throng of fans and groupies who’d all wanted a piece of them, and this machine was picking up on his constant desire to fuck. “Sure, sumfink like dat.”

The android resumed its place at the wall, hands limp at its side. “So the Master mates with the female,” it stated firmly. “The Master wishes to reproduce with the female.”

Erupting into a barking laugh, 2D shook his head. “You’re way off wiff dat!”

Cocking its head to the side, it slowly turned to look over at him. “The purpose of mating is reproduction.”

“Not all da time,” he chuckled, still shaking his head as he lit a cigarette. “Not wiff humans an’way. An’ definitely not wiff him!” Dropping back down onto the edge of his bed, he continued to chuckle as he smoked his cigarette. He wasn’t sure why having this discussion was so awkward. It wasn’t as if this were a flesh and blood adolescent. It was a damned machine. A machine programmed to take out men twice its size in an effort to protect its cowardly creator. And the tosser couldn’t bother programming a few important details into its CPU? Like, _ hey if you hear me moanin’ and screamin’, I’m not hurt, I’m just lettin’ a fan drain my balls _. Hell, anything to keep it from possibly shooting any woman unlucky enough to be caught under the man while he was grunting mindlessly over her.

“The purpose of mating is reproduction,” it repeated, still looking at the singer blankly. “The goal of reproduction is to produce offspring. If the Master does not desire to reproduce, why mate with the female?”

“For fun,” 2D said, staring at the television with the cigarette burning between his fingers. “Look, I can’t explain it in a way you’d understand!”

The Cyborg went quiet and soon their voices could just be heard again over the television, Hailey’s voice rising loudly followed closely by Murdoc’s. Wincing, 2D grabbed the remote from the floor and attempted to turn up the volume again as he sat down, now more irritated than anything. The android seemed focused on what was happening on the other side of the wall and 2D reasoned it could learn through whatever ways it was processing the noises now that it knew Hailey wasn’t a threat and Murdoc wasn’t hurt. The crackling noises could still be heard and this did make him a little nervous but he decided he’d bring that up later once Murdoc wasn’t occupied. The android slowly turned its head from the wall and back towards 2D. “Master has ejaculated and finished mating with the female. If you wish to mate with the female, now is the time because it will take him approximately twenty-five minutes to recover before he can resume.”

“What da fuck?” He stared at it now with wide eyes and mouth agape. Shuddering violently, he shook his head, gagging. “Humans dun’ work like dat! I’m not gonna fuck her after he’s just had her. I dun’ want his sloppy seconds an’ I certainly dun’ want her!” He shuddered again, revolted that the android would even suggest such a thing. How fucking gross! Like he wanted to fuck that woman. She was pretty but just not really his type and he certainly didn’t want her once the bassist had her.

“A human female can mate with numerous partners,” the Cyborg stated. “Your aversion is emotional because every breeding age female you will mate with has mated with someone else before you. If you desire to mate, there is a healthy, breeding aged female next door with Master.”

Dropping back into his bed, 2D continued to shake his head. Was this really happening? Never in his wildest dreams would he imagine himself having this discussion with a fucking machine. Murdoc would probably find this whole thing entertaining as fuck, but only after kicking 2D’s behind for the android even implying the singer should get a piece of that woman. Then he’d laugh about it and probably give the singer grief for the rest of their days! Taking another drag from his cigarette, he stared up at the ceiling, still shaking his head in disbelief and trying to ignore the sounds of loud fucking coming from the room next door and the crackling sounds still erupting out of the Cyborg. “Please tell me I’m not really haffin’ dis discussion...”


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING - references to childhood sex abuse

**Chapter Twelve**

Murdoc stared up at the ceiling, chest heaving as the feeling slowly came back to his limbs. Laying on the bed, still stark arsed naked, it took massive effort to even move. Hailey lay beside him on her stomach, head resting in folded arms – equally naked – moaning through panted breaths. He rolled to his side and gave her arse a hard smack, laughing as she yelped and jumped before going limp face down on the bed again. Still laughing, he rolled flat to his back again and sighed. They’d had a blissful and energetic half hour of fucking and he knew after he had a chance to rest up and collect his bearings, he’d be ready to go again sooner rather than later.

He’d been struggling with a lot of confusing thoughts when they’d first gotten to his room. Of all the things to linger in his head, it had been the words of his band-mate. _ Ask her t’ come wiff? _ He’d given Dents no reaction other than requesting that he leave it alone, but as the afternoon had worn on, he had indeed wondered a bit about it and had stopped himself from texting her at least twice. Seeing her in the front row, realizing that she’d kept her word about coming to the concert – even with things going to shit in her personal life – had pushed him closer to seriously considering it and wanting to ask her. He’d never dare tell Stu that it was him who had pushed Murdoc towards the idea because the Dent-Head was a dim-wit and he didn’t give anything the dullard said the time of day most of the time. So the man had a moment of clarity – so what? Once moment out of countless other moments where he’d acted like the idiot that he was? Besides, Murdoc would have most likely decided to ask whether Stu had mentioned it or not. Couldn’t deny that Hailey’s presence felt good and calming in ways he hadn’t felt in a long time and he would be stupid to let it slip through his fingers. The biggest issue was that there was no delicate way to tell her the truth about everything going on. His fear being that discovering all the shit he’d gotten him and singer into would scare her away or – worse yet – lead to her contacting the police.

When Murdoc had finally gotten Hailey back at his room and she’d mentioned that the friendship with that blond bird was over, that little lonely part of him that had been overjoyed at her presence kicked and screamed. _ Ask her! Just ask her! _ Still unwilling to let that fucker loose entirely , he’d kissed her and kissed her some more, simply wanting to feel every part of her beneath his lips, his fingers and against his body. It had led to a frantic few moments of grinding that had nearly wrecked his self control, the questions he wanted to ask just at the surface, unsure of her response and part of hi m even dreading what it might be. Those questions that finally came pouring out when he broke away from the heated kiss. “Ever consider travelin’? Just turnin’ your back on it all?” Flushed and breathless, she had merely nodded before smashing her mouth back against his and yanking him back down onto her. They’d broke n away from each other long enough to yank shirts over their heads and fling them asid e , hands and arms back on one another. Though he was conscious of the fact that her response wasn’t necessarily a _ yes _ to leaving with him and Dents, he had refused to focus on that.

Clothing had been stripped and he’d led her to the bathroom. After testing water temps, he’d practically thrown her into the stall, pressing up against her back and pinning her to the wall of the shower stall. After he’d managed a few moments of frantic groping, he’d finally positioned his body and started thrusting, the groan and whispered plea of “Harder” that had escaped from her fired his brain up and he was soon slamming into her so hard, the motion had her slapping against the wall. He’d heard a noise from the other room, something hitting the wall, but his mind had been focused solely on fucking Hailey senseless. From there, he’d yanked her out of the shower stall and eventually had them both back at the chair, on their knees with her bent over into the seat. She’d had him on the chair, straddled across his lap, one hand clutching his throat with the other holding his hair. There were only so many surfaces that could be used and they’d managed to make use of nearly every single one and it had ended on the bed with her on her hands and knees with him driving into her hard and fast behind her, her cries filling the room. The orgasm hit so hard, he’d cried out, pressing himself as deep into her as he could, his surroundings fading off briefly, his cry finally tapering off to a few hoarse whimpers as he weakly pumped into her a few more times before disengaging from her body and collapsing onto the bed.

Once most of the feeling had come back to his body and Hailey appeared to be moving, he finally managed to push himself from the bed to grab his cigarettes. He was planning to make tonight count and though he could feel the fuzzy tendrils of tiredness creeping in, he ignored it as he lit a cigarette and sat down in the chair that had seen their bared arses probably a few too many times. Hailey was finally sitting up and looking around with a glazed expression on her face. The marks on her body were minimal, most of what he was seeing being from their first night together. There were a few new scratches and a fresh set of teeth marks on her neck, but that was about it. He’d managed to keep himself restrained because they would be making tonight count. He just needed some time to recover. Half time, he thought to himself with a chuckle.

From next door, he could hear some noises and though he raised an eyebrow in curiosity, he returned his focus back to the naked and spent woman still sitting on his bed in post-fucked glory. Should he broach the subject again and get a clear answer? He wasn’t really sure. She was already planning on moving out of that flat she shared with her former mate. Why not kick around and travel with him? They seemed to mesh well in ways beyond the sex and that didn’t happen very often for him. The other thing, the thing that part of him wanted to refuse to acknowledge, was the fact that he really liked her. She’d brought calm to him even with the stresses of the tour. She’d helped him forget his troubles. She’d made room in her life when she hadn’t needed to do so. It could have easily been just a physical encounter and she could have easily rebuffed his attempts at further contact, but she hadn’t.

Another noise came from 2D’s room, this time followed by a loud crash. Unable to ignore it this time, Murdoc stubbed out his cigarette and grabbed his jeans. “Stupid git probably tried t’ get out the door ‘gain,” he grumbled under his breath. Hailey was now looking at the far wall where the bathroom was. Something hard hit the wall, both of them jumping. “Stay here,” he ordered as he buckled his belt. “I’ll be back shortly.” She nodded in response as he slipped out of his room and closed the door behind him. He pulled out the spare key-card for Stu’s room and unlocked the neighboring door. Upon stepping into the room, he immediately slammed the door shut when he saw 2D tangled and pinned to the floor with the Cyborg straddled across his back, handgun pressed to his head. When 2D spotted him, he sputtered out a whispered “Help me!” before slamming his eyes shut as the Cyborg pressed the gun harder into his head. Murdoc stood there, still unable to move, all the good feelings suddenly evaporating from his body as the adrenaline dumped in. “Oi!” he barked. “What the fuck do you think you’re doin’! Stand down!”

The Cyborg slowly lifted its head, a weird crackling noise coming from it. Murdoc took a step back when he realized one of the glass eyes weren’t even looking at him. And that smile. That fucking smile. It had a wide and face stretching smile on its face, something Murdoc had never seen before. Looked like a demented jack-o-lantern. “Threat detected. Primary Objective, protect Murdoc Niccals, Master Bass Player and God.”

It still refused to move from its place at 2D’s back. Murdoc looked it over carefully, watching as its hand flexed on the handgun. The room reeked of burnt plastic, which he found puzzling but wondered if they were smelling the android’s innards burning due to whatever malfunction. This meant he needed to act. Last thing he needed was the blasted thing going up in flames while sitting on Stu. Storming towards it, he grabbed the shoulder of the robot and tried to tug it back. “Stand down!” he barked again. The hand that had been clutching at 2D’s hair was suddenly free, moving too quickly for him to react and the impact had felt like a punch in the chest. Tumbling backward away from his singer, Murdoc lay on his side a moment trying to piece together what had just happened. Christ, that hurt. Felt like that time he’d been testing Kevlar and had let the Cyborg shoot him in the chest. Wheezing and bracing a hand against his chest, he stumbled to his feet and stormed back towards it and attempted to push it back, scrambling to grab Stu and yank him out from under the blasted thing. 2D yelped when it latched back onto his hair again, the gun now raising slowly towards Murdoc. His heart pounding, he swatted the gun away from him, only succeeding in it moving its arm a little before bringing it back towards him. “Dun’ make me deactivate you, you bucket of fuckin’ bolts! I said to _stand down_!” Rising to its feet, it still clutched 2D by his hair, hauling the singer up to a kneeling position at its feet. Murdoc looked around the room frantically, spotting a standing lamp in the corner. He knew he’d be no match against it, but he had to do something or else it was going to kill his singer. Last thing he wanted was to be on some sodding reality show trying to find a new lead singer for his fucking band. Grabbing the lamp, he yanked the cord from the outlet and charged at the android, smashing the lamp into its back. The lamp fell to pieces, useless in his hands. The Cyborg, still standing, slowly turned towards him. “Master desires to mate with the female. Master is finished. Idiot Singer of Gorillaz desires to mate with the female.”

2D sputtered, his reedy voice rising as he shook his head. “No, no, lemme go! I told you I dun’ wanna do her!” It pressed the gun back into his head, a low hiccuping sound finally erupting from him as he went limp against the android and started sobbing hysterically.

“Primary Objective, protect Murdoc Niccals, Master Bass Player and God.” More strange crackling noises could be heard as it turned its head towards Murdoc, the wonky eye moving around. Smoke was starting to come from its mouth and ears. “P-p-primary ob...object –” The voice was skewed and warbly. Murdoc moved towards it, latching an arm around the neck of the android as he used his free hand to fumble into the back of the thing’s head. Just get to the CPU and disconnect some cables. He was shaking too hard, his hand refusing to work as his fingers shakily attempted to get beneath the cheap wig. More weird noises could be heard coming from it and he could feel one of its hands latching onto his shoulder, gripping down onto the bone and muscle hard enough for him to hiss in pain. The compartment in the back of its head was exposed and he scrambled with his nails to pry the little door open.

He was suddenly soaring across the room, hitting the wall with enough force that he was briefly suspended for a few precious seconds before he went crashing down to the floor, breaking the table and lamp in his fall. Finger on his left hand throbbing, back aching and every part of him now weak and woozy, he raised himself to his feet, seeing the Cyborg now standing alone and facing him. 2D, still sobbing, was on his feet like lightening and it took Murdoc a good ten or fifteen seconds to realize the singer was bailing out of the room like a bat out of hell. “Stu!” he barked. “Wait up!” He took another few breaths before charging at the android, slinging himself onto its back again and managing to pop the compartment door open. He could feel its hands reaching for him again, the fingers digging hard into the flesh and bone of his shoulder once again, pain flaring up. Snarling, he used his other hand to reach into the compartment, realizing that it was pulling him away and over again. “_Stand. The. Fuck. Down_!” he screeched, his nails catching some of the wires and connection points, ripping them free just as it had managed to partially raise him over its shoulder. There was a noise, the machine running down and suddenly the Cyborg was frozen in place. He could still hear as it shut itself down, every part of it started to relax, head slowly drooping forward. The arm that held him slowly eased downward as it powered down. The hand holding the weapon was relaxing back to its side, the gun falling from its grip.

Yanking himself away, Murdoc rubbed at his shoulder. He’d forgotten how fucking strong that blasted thing was. He continued to rub at his aching shoulder, trying to ignore the flaring and burning pain in his finger. A cursory glance at his left hand revealed a middle finger that was bent a little weird and his heart sank. Broken? Christ, he hoped not, but rather hard to deny the obvious when the damned finger was bending in a way that wasn’t natural. Shaking his head, he curled his arms around the androids body – being mindful of the damaged digit – and dragged it back towards the bathroom. Heavy and awkward, it took a few brief stops to catch his breath before he finally managed to get it into the bathroom and dropped it into the tub. The tool bag had been stowed under the sink since the last time he’d been in there repairing the fucking thing and it hadn’t been moved. He grabbed the tattered gym bag full of tools and started rummaging around the best he could. After a few unsuccessful grabs through the bag, his injured finger striking against various tools and sending flaring hot pain up through his arm, he got to his feet and went to search for the first aid kit he’d brought into the room when they’d first arrived. Hopefully the dullard didn’t move the blasted thing. After searching a few drawers and cupboards, he finally found it located under the bed. He wrapped the injured finger as carefully as he could, bracing it against his index finger. He’d definitely have to get to rewrapped and in a splint or something, but this would work for the time being.

He dropped down to his knees besides the tub and started pulling different tools out. The little compartment in the back of its head was still open with all the ripped wires hanging out. Grabbing a few smaller tools, he bent over the side of the tub and started to work on checking past the CPU. There’d been weird burning smells not to mention the crackling noises it had been making. Clearly something that needed to be looked into. He should be just taking this fucking thing apart and going out to look for Dents. The man had bolted in the craziness and Satan knows where he was now. Muttering to himself, Murdoc focused on the android, cursing himself for not grabbing his glasses. He may need to go back to his room to retrieve them because there just wasn’t enough light in the bathroom and the area he was working on was too small for him to work with. Catching sight of 2D’s pack of smokes on the counter by the sink, he grabbed one and lit it. Drawing back and sitting on his feet, he wiped at his brow, cigarette dangling from his mouth. He was going to have to take it apart and stow it away. Whatever was wrong might very well take more time than he has to figure out.

When he heard a soft gasp from within the room, he went stiff by the tub as his stomach plummeted. Though he knew who the gasp was coming from, part of him held out hope that it was maybe hotel staff, a nosy neighbor...hell, even the fucking police. No, he pleaded silently. No, no, no...please be anyone but her. Slowly looking over his shoulder, he took in the sight of a still quite disheveled Hailey standing in the doorway of the bathroom, looking at the thing in the tub and him bent over it with tools. He could see the fear and confusion in her eyes as she struggled to take in the sight before her. He knew it looked bad. The Cyborg was laying in the tub at an odd angle, oil leaking out of its ears and mouth. Slowly rising to his feet, his body protesting loudly, he reached towards her. “Hailey...it’s not what it looks like,” he said, struggling to keep his tone calm. “You need t’ listen t’ me.”

She moaned, backing away from him with her hands up. Eyes that once looked at him warmly were now full of fear and revulsion and he wasn’t sure how to process this. Weird feelings coursed through him when he realized there would be no understanding, no possibility of explanation. Just as he’d feared. Once she realized what was happening, she wanted nothing to do with him. He stepped closer, feeling an ache in his chest when she threw her hands up again and pushed him back. “Get away from me,” she moaned, continuing to step backwards away from him.

Hands up, his heart pounding hard in his chest and blood rushing through his ears, he gingerly walked around her, hoping to put himself between her and the open door of the suite, the door the dullard probably left open when he’d rushed out earlier. “Hailey,” he said as calmly as he could, “you need t’ let me explain. I need you t’ calm down before we attract unwanted attention...” She was still most focused on the android in the tub, darting back to him as she attempted to keep some distance between them. Taking a breath, he reached out slowly, keeping his voice as low and stead as he could even as his own panic started to rise. “Please, Hailey...you gotta listen.” Just as his fingers brushed against her wrist, she jerked away abruptly, almost choking back a sob as she spun and tried to dash towards the open hotel door. Rushing ahead, he slammed the door shut and put himself between her and the way out. If she would just calm down and listen, maybe he could talk to her, get her to understand what she was seeing. Reason said this was a pipe dream because it was clear by the horrified look on her face that there’d be no reasoning or calm. She was in fight or flight mode and she was no longer seeing someone she’d warmed up to, but someone to be feared and repulsed by. He darted forward, catching her by her arms, pulling her towards him. “Hailey, stop!” he barked loudly. “Let me explain!”

One of her arms tore free and he felt a sharp sting as the free hand struck him across the face in her panic. She was wild now, a strangled scream erupting from her as she struggled to get free, pulling backward. Gritting his teeth, he attempted to pull her as close as he could, hoping her could get both arms before she struck him again. Feet tangling as he scrambled to keep a hold on her as she writhed and pushed and swung, her backward motion suddenly pulling him off center. Unable to regain footing, he squeezed his eyes shut when he realized they were going down and there was no way to stop it. They hit the floor in a heap with him practically on top of her and she was absolutely feral at this point. Both arms now free, she was lashing out and striking at him, trying to push him away as she crawled out from beneath him. He managed to get to his feet before her, rushing towards her when she veered towards the only other open door in the room – the bathroom. She froze in the doorway, her eyes on the thing in the tub. Murdoc rushed forward, only thinking of grabbing her and trying to calm her, only vaguely conscious through his panic that she’d stopped in her tracks. The messages in his brain didn’t send them to his body fast enough to process that she’d stopped, his body still moving forward and unable to brake in time.

A squeak erupted out of her when he tackled her into the bathroom, both of them falling into the tub. Through the white noise of his panic, he was dully aware that he’d heard a loud _thump_ and she was suddenly completely limp beneath him. Head resting on her stomach, arms aching from striking the sides of the tub, he slowly tried to push himself upright, a small groan escaping from him as he looked down at her. At the corner of the tub was a smear of blood and he could see the mark on her head, just at her hairline. She was still and if not for her breathing, he would’ve thought her dead. Fuck, no. This isn’t happening. He shook his head as he slowly got back to his feet. She laid in the tub at an odd angle, her head by the android’s legs, one leg draped over the side of the tub with the other wedged between the robot’s head and the side of the tub. Christ, what was he supposed to do now? Sighing, he knelt down at the side of the tub where her head lay, his hand smoothing against her cheek and smoothing back her hair. Luckily the cut on her forehead was minor. It would leave a nasty bump and some pretty horrific looking bruising, but it wouldn’t need stitches.

Think, Murdoc, think. She’s unconscious and this will buy you some time. Still need to get the Cyborg figured out and track down Dents. He frowned, stepping back from the tub and shaking his head and not liking the aching sensations or the foreign emotions that continued to course through him. Just as he had feared. She pushed him away. She didn’t want anything further to do with him. Whatever potential they thought there was, that was most likely gone. She would never look at him the same. He was something to be feared. All the good feelings she’d brought were becoming overshadowed by something else. It hurt, that’s what it was. It hurt knowing she pushed him away. It fucking hurt to know that any chance of being able to share something more with her had evaporated just like that. He’d allowed her to get too close too fast without bothering to give a somewhat passable explanation of what was going on and she was most likely completely lost to him now.

Sighing loudly, he reached into the tub and hauled Hailey’s limp form out and over his shoulder, legs shaking from the added weight as he carried her over towards the bed. A spike of panic shot through him when her eyes fluttered, but when she went still again he exhaled the breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. Sitting beside her, he smoothed her hair away and brushed his fingers across her still face. He wasn’t sure what to do. She’d ridden in the car the label provided from the arena to the hotel and he had no way of getting her out of the hotel without being noticed. Her car was parked quite a few miles away, if he was calculating the distance right. Reason was barely heard through the panic, trying desperately to point out that there was no safe way to get her out of the hotel without being seen and he’d need to do something and do something soon. What that something was, he still wasn’t sure. Leave her here and bolt? That seemed the most sensible thing, but what if she started talking? What if she told people what she’d seen? He had enough people on his arse for things, Interpol also being one of them, and he didn’t want to add some local American authorities to the mix because he left behind a witness to the madness.

Though every thought and emotion was a riot inside of him, he got to his feet and returned to his room. She was knocked out cold but there was still a very real risk of her coming around before he could get everything sorted and he did not want to be put in the wretched position of struggling with her again. Reaching under his bed, he pulled out a plain leather satchel and reefed the zipper open. Sorting through the vials of tranquilizers and bottles of painkillers, he located the vial he’d been searching for near the bottom of the bag next to a couple of tiny bags of speed. He jokingly called the bag his mobile pharmacy seeing that some of the items within had helped him immensely through the course of the tour but had more or less abandoned it after a few too many close calls with Dents and the robot. The far side of the bag held a separate little folded leather kit and grabbing both the kit and the vial, he got back to his feet and rushed back to the other hotel suite.

Hailey was still laying on the bed where he’d left her, a small trickle of blood now trailing across her face from the small injury near her hairline. Murdoc seated himself at the edge of the bed beside her, opening up the little leather kit and revealing a rather archaic looking needle. Grabbing the vial, he read the directions with squinted eyes, mentally kicking himself again for not grabbing his glasses. Plunging the needle into the stopper of the vial, he made a guess on how much he’d need. Half of what he would normally take? She was near equal to him in size, but he had built up quite the tolerance over the years. Maybe he should use half of half? Why the fuck was Rohypnol so hard to work with? His brow furrowed as he opted for a happy medium. Not quite half of what he could handle, but still a bit more than a quarter of that. He grabbed her arm and pulled the sleeve of the soft sweater up until he got it past her elbow. He chanced a quick glance around for something to tie around her arm so he could get a vein. Seeing nothing, he leaned in close and used his fingers to gently squeeze her upper arm, setting the needle onto his leg so he could tap at the crook of her elbow. There was a good vein there, thank Satan for small miracles. Grabbing the needle, he pricked it into the little blue vein and slowly pushed the small plunger down. Wiping the needle against his pant leg, he used his thumb to wipe away the bead of blood that formed where the needle had punctured her skin. “Christ, I’m sorry,” he muttered, leaning in and pressing his lips to her forehead.

Rising from the bed, he looked around the chaotic room. He would need to get to work immediately to get things in order. Get the android apart and bag the bitch so he could deal with it later. Then he’d need to get on his cell and see where that lanky skiddish bastard had run off to. Hopefully not far. Glancing down at the still unconscious Hailey, he sighed and turned towards her. He wasn’t quite sure what he planned to do with her, but he definitely needed to get her somewhere out of sight. Wrapping the hotel coverlet around her, he pulled her up into his arms, his bruised arms and back barking in pain, the damaged finger sending lightning bolts of pain through his arm. Slipping out of the room silently, he looked around the corridor cautiously as he darted towards the stairs with his bundle. The late hour had the hotel mostly quiet and empty and he had to thank whatever deities out there for his good fortune as he rushed to the lower car park beneath the hotel. He’d had a small equipment trailer that was used to store and tow their personal instruments and a few other things. Given the time, it should be in the underground car park by now, seeing that he’d spotted the roadies towing it away from the arena as he and Dents had been leaving the meet and greet.

He paused at the doorway to the car park long enough to peer through it and verify that the trailer was there. Sure enough, it was just a few meters away. Taking a breath, he cast another quick glance around to determine if it was quiet and empty enough for him to get to the trailer without being noticed. Seeing only one other person way at the far back, little more than a speck in the distance, he darted out of the stairwell and towards the trailer. The keys to the bloody thing were in his jean pockets and he had to lean into the trailer to help hold her up in his arms so he could use a free hand to dig down and yank them out. He’d locked it tight after the roadies had loaded the thing and had the only set of keys to them. Quickly unlocking the doors, he used a foot to hook and swing one of the doors open. Cradling the unconscious blanket clad bundle, he climbed into the trailer and worked to set her down as gently as he possibly could. If the dosage he’d given her was good, it should keep her out long enough to finish getting shit together. Looks like the tour was coming to a close sooner rather than later, he thought to himself as he closed the trailer doors and locked them tight.

With Hailey secured away, he darted towards the lift, catching sight of his reflection in the chrome panels. He looked an absolute fright. Scratched, bruised, covered in small cuts. He could only imagine what his back looked like after getting thrown into the wall. He’d hit so hard, there was a massive dent in the drywall and wallpaper. The hotel was going to have his balls via his credit card. He exited the lift when it deposited him back on his floor and let himself back into 2D’s room. It looked pretty bad, but not as bad as he initially thought (minus the dent on the far wall). There was a broken lamp, a dented wall and a few broken pieces of something he couldn’t identify. It didn’t take long to tidy it up, leaving the broken items in a pile near the door. He’d have to get some bags from his room so he could get the Cyborg pieced apart and stowed away, but it could remain in the tub for the time being so he could get his own room in order.

His room did seem messier by some standards, the bedding stripped back and kicked away, the overstuffed chair sporting a few cringe-worthy stains. Grabbing his half zipped suitcases, he flung them onto the bed and pulled them open. Spotting Hailey’s purse on the desk, he snatched it up and shoved it into his suitcase, looking around frantically to ensure all traces of Hailey’s presence in his room was put away. A plain little black enameled hair clip was on the floor near the bathroom and he realized he’d released the clip in their zeal and had simply dropped it to the floor. He could admit some surprise that neither one of them had stepped on it. Scooping it from the floor, he dropped it into a side pocket of her purse and resumed checking around the room. The only other thing of hers was her socks and boots. With Hailey’s belongings now accounted for, he started rounding up all his own personal belongings and tossing them into the suitcases, not caring what went where.

Once he was sure he had everything packed and ready, he dropped to the side of the bed. Scrubbing his hands across his face, he let out a low whine as he felt the residual shocks of adrenaline finally sap his strength. He still needed to get the Cyborg packed away and track down Dents. He wasn’t sure what he planned to do other than trying to get everything together and get the fuck out of this city. What was he supposed to do with Hailey? If the Rohypnol did what it was supposed to, she wouldn’t remember much. She’d come around confused with holes in her memory. He hadn’t necessarily asked her directly to come with him, but she had confirmed she wanted to leave it all behind. Oh, you’re a bastard, the voice of reason whispered. You can’t seriously be considering what I think you’re considering. Sighing, he lit a cigarette and shook the voice of reason away. Was it really a bastard thing to do? Surely she could feel the same thing he’d been feeling. He wanted to see where it could go. And if it fizzled, well, he’d just figure that out when it happened. Once she came around, she wasn’t going to remember a damned thing anyway so it wouldn’t be too hard to spin something believable, right?

**********************************************

There was pain, there was colors and then there was darkness. Swimming in the darkness, Hailey was dully conscious of the fact that she could sort of hear what was going on. When she felt his hands close around her and pull her up, she wanted to resist, to pull away and scream but in the darkness no sound came out and she couldn’t seem to control her limbs. Everything felt so far away and distant. Vague awareness of the comfort of the bed and distant noises that indicated Murdoc going in and out of the room. She fought against the darkness, trying desperately to scream. _Someone help! Help me please!_ Much like in a dream, her voice was strangled and useless, nothing more than echoes in the darkness around her. Oh god, what was happening? What did he do to her? She’d stumbled into the hotel room to find him bent over the tub with the body of their guitarist laying in there. The singer had been nowhere to be found. She’d heard someone running out of the room as she’d dressed herself and realized that she’d heard 2D running away. Had she stumbled into a murder? Had the singer killed their young guitarist and fled and now Murdoc was trying to cover up the crime?

The darkness seemed more suffocating, dragging her further and further in even as she struggled to cling to what little scrap of consciousness she could. _Someone please help me!_ Her voice was gone, whispered echoes that bounced back at her, mocking her. She struggled to keep what few senses she had on high alert, focusing on whatever she could hear or feel, even as those became dimmer and dimmer. His hands were on her again, holding her arm. Weird sensation that might or might not have been a pin prick, coolness starting to invade the darkness. With that coolness came a dulling sensation, the darkness now dragging her back, senses fading out, her cries for help little more than whimpers she knew nobody could hear but her. She was surrounded by the cool feeling, wanting to shiver but unable to. Unable to hear anything, unable to feel what was happening now, confusion setting in as she floated in nothing. The nothingness wasn’t too bad. No concerns. No feelings. Maybe she was dead and this was what the afterlife was like? Stuck in your own head until your brain turned to goo. Wasn’t there a _**Tales From the Crypt**_ episode that featured something like this? The concept seemed entertaining enough and she thought she giggled in the darkness but wasn’t really sure.

The darkness seemed to be lifting. What was she seeing? The image slowly appearing out of the darkness was fuzzy around the edges, enough to tell her it was probably a dream or something. There was a crib in front of her. The room she stood in was dark and she assumed she must have been small because she knew she was standing and yet the crib’s rails were still a good foot over her head. There was a baby in the crib, laying far too still on the mattress, dead hazel eyes staring blankly back at her. There were flames in the crib. There were flames everywhere. She could hear screaming and the sounds of people running but nobody was coming for her. No, don’t leave her here! Don’t leave her here to die! She could smell something that reminded her briefly of barbecue, but her brain kept pointing out that it was something else. Don’t look at the baby. Don’t look at it. The smell was so close and she kept her gaze on the door, refusing to look into the crib as the flames began to burn the little body within.

More fuzzy images rolled in, the dark flaming room vanishing from around her and soon it was white walls and cold tiles. The smell of Lysol and despair filled the air. People yelling from outside of the door. The door was ice cold steel with no knob on her side. High above was a small window panel she couldn’t reach. The door was making noise, opening up slowly and a giant stepped in. She scuttled across the room on all fours, small noises coming from her as she tried to hide under the bed. The giant had her by the ankle, dragging her out from under the bed as she kicked, screamed and lashed out. The giant laughed at her, booming voice comparing her to a feral cat. Another giant stepped in, the voice gentler, admonishing the other giant in how he was handling her. The gentle one called out to her by name, but the name wasn’t registering. When she felt the massive hand release her ankle, she’d scuttled under the little metal bed, practically hissing at them both. She remembered this place now. This was the place where they sent you when you did bad things. Like try to stop someone from hurting you and another kid. Or starting fires.

She didn’t like this anymore. If this was the afterlife, she would rather it be nothing more than darkness and nothing. Revisiting memories she’d buried for decades wasn’t fun at all. At least it wasn’t the other memories. Memories of men grunting over her and hurting her as she cried and begged for them to stop. Women who beat her and called her horrible things when she tried to tell them what the men were doing to her. Memories of her body hurting so much and not understanding why. This could stop now. She wanted out. Even if the darkness scared her, she’d rather be lost in the darkness than continue to relive a single fucking moment. Especially if all she was going to see were things she’d made every single effort to block from her consciousness.

She was sitting in a chair on a front lawn. The house behind her recognized quickly as the DeWitt house and from her vantage point within her head, she let out a massive sigh of relief. Or she thought she did anyway. This was an okay memory. The DeWitts were nice. She must have just gotten here because the clothes she was wearing were outdated and ragged. Barbara must not have taken her shopping yet. She could hear a voice from somewhere out on the road. It was one of those narrow residential roads where you could play and ride a bike without fear of getting hit by a car. It was a nice road. The voice called out again. She looked towards the direction of the voice, spotting a strange looking kid walking towards her. Tall, skinny as a rail with long white blond hair. Was this girl an albino? Was she going to have red eyes like those albino rats she’d seen in the pet shops? That would be so cool!

She could just make out the shadows and shapes that were most likely Alicia’s room. They were huddled on the floor watching a horror movie. Wasn’t it some Stephen King flick? The pet one, right? Alicia had been bawling her eyes out over the baby and Hailey had barely flinched. They were a little older, if she was judging the décor and Alicia’s appearance right. They were both in high school at this point. Okay, this memory wasn’t bad either, thank Christ. Random, but at least from fourteen on they weren’t completely fucking horrible.

More darkness. Okay, this was back again. She could deal with that. No sound, no sense of touch, no smells. She imagined herself humming along as she floated down some random creek, uncaring where it took her. From somewhere in the darkness, she realized she was starting to hear things. Movement and voices. Ahead of her was a little white dot. No bigger than a pin head. It was moving closer to her, wasn’t it? Oh fuck, what if it’s the deeper memories she’d blocked? She’d probably break if exposed to relive that shit, even if only as a weird bystander in her own head. As the light got bigger and bigger, she realized she could feel something. Hands were holding her up, directing her. Fuzzy and out of focus, she was seeing blurred faces around her, the voices garbled. Her brain couldn’t seem to process what she was being told, as if they were speaking in a foreign language. She was being ushered through a weird grey corridor. Everything felt woozy and bleary, too fuzzy to really tell where she was.

Darkness swooped across her once again, though this time she could sort of hear what was going on around her. The inflection of the voices told her they were asking a question. Another voice answered in response. She still couldn’t quite tell what was being said. She felt heavy and useless. Why wasn’t her brain working? Why couldn’t she make out what the hell was going on and what was being said? When the darkness lifted again, it was bright but still blurry and out of focus. Someone was leaning in real close, talking to her, but the words weren’t registering in her head right. She couldn’t even clearly see who it was. Was she sitting somewhere? Another voice came from behind her, thin and reedy. She closed her eyes, hating how bright everything was and how woozy she was feeling. She must have made a noise of some kind because someone was beside her, the voice familiar but words still jumbling together in her head and lost in translation. What was that fuck-awful droning noise around them? Why did her head feel so awful? Ears throbbing painfully, everything swimming in her vision as the blurred images in front of her started to flicker in and out of focus. A massive wave of nausea washed over her and her voice came out raspy and thick, nothing more than a weird groan as she lurched forward. People were sitting around her. Faces she thought she recognized. The thin reedy voice from behind her suddenly was heard clearly. “I fink she’s gonna be sick.”

Blinking through the blur, she took a breath and latched onto the arm rests beside her. A paper cup full of something clear was suddenly in front of her, the hand that offered it resting on her thigh once she took it. There was no odor, most likely water. Fuck, her mouth tasted like something shit in it and it felt dry and thick. Drinking the water noisily, she could feel it dribbling around her mouth and onto her clothes but not caring one bit about that. “More,” she croaked, rubbing at her head. Another cup was in front of her and she took that greedily. For all she knew, there was something slipped into these but she was too hyper focused on the feel of the water in her dry mouth and down her throat. God, even her throat felt like she’d been breathing in desert sand.

The person sitting beside her gave her leg a squeeze. “Be careful, love, b’fore you make yourself sick. Take it easy.” With everything coming into focus, she shook her head against that fucking awful droning noise around her. Peering over to her right, she realized she was looking at Murdoc. Smiling at her as he took the empty paper cup from her hand. “Do you need more?”

Hailey looked around, slowly coming to realize she was on a small plane. At least, that’s what she assumed it had to be. Narrow and tubular, rows of seats all around. She could hear 2D talking behind her and a few others were now looking at her. “What?” she whispered hoarsely. “Where am I? What’s going on?”

“You dun’ remember?” Murdoc was staring at her with a weird smile on his face. “We talked ‘bout you taggin’ ‘long an’ you agreed. Dents took a bit of a fall so we’re callin’ the rest of the tour quits.” He pointed behind them and Hailey turned to peer through the seats, seeing a bruised and somewhat solemn 2D staring out the window.

When did he ask about this? She couldn’t remember him asking her anything. Actually, she couldn’t really remember much of anything after going back with him to the hotel after the show. She remembered the day leading up to the show, the concert itself and even a bit of social hour with some of the musicians while he, the singer and the guitarist handled some backstage fan stuff and she could even remember heading back to the hotel in that black car the record label provided for them. But after that? Not a fucking thing. She was sure she could recall vague images of some fun activity in his hotel room and even some weird chase game, but little else. Wait...the guitarist. Something about the guitarist. That was important. “Where’s your guitarist?” she asked softly, still feeling unsure of her voice.

Murdoc’s smile faltered, a flicker of fear seen briefly. “Err....she stayed behind. Meetin’ up with Russ or whatever.”

“I thought you had no idea where Russel was?” She frowned, still looking around her in confusion. Simonon and Jones were in the seats across the aisle from them. Cass was a few rows ahead of them and looking pretty irritated. Looking back behind her, she could see 2D glaring daggers into Murdoc’s back. Something didn’t feel right. Granted, she still felt a bit woozy and unclear and maybe that was why everything felt so fucking off.

“He popped up as we were leavin’,” Murdoc said with a shrug. “No matter. One less plane ticket t’ deal with.” Chuckling nervously, he reached out and patted her leg again. “You really did yourself in, didn’t you?”

Still frowning, she turned to look at him. From across the aisle, she heard Cass scoff loudly. So whatever he was angry about had something to do with her? “What do you mean?” she asked.

“Threw you a goin’ ‘way party, Poppet,” Murdoc said, cracking a smile. “Reckon you went a lil’ overboard. Had t’ practically carry you in t’ the plane an’ you sicked all over the aisle.”

He had to be lying. How could she not remember this? The last thing she remembered was arriving at the hotel, some snatches of images of whatever went down while in the hotel and then suddenly nothing. It was like she’d been asleep through the whole thing. How could she not remember a party? And who would throw her a going away party? Her and Alicia were no longer friends. Jason wouldn’t dare because he wouldn’t want to involved himself more than he already had been. Maybe Gina? Would Gina have thrown her a party? Wait, she was on leave from work, wasn’t she? Oh god, did she just quit her fucking job after Gina moved mountains to save her hide? “No....there’s no way,” she protested, licking her dry lips. “I said I’d go with you? Was I drunk when I said this?” The smile on his face collapsed completely. He was clearly pricked by the question, shaking his head as he sat back and turned his attention to the window. From across the aisle, she could hear Simonon laughing. She wanted to laugh too but none of this seemed real or laughable for that matter. If she’d been at a party of any kind, she would have remembered. She had her moments when it came to drink, but not moments like this. “When was all of this?” she asked finally. “When did you ask me and when was this party?” She looked over at Jones and Simonon. “Were any of you there?”

Both men shook their heads, Jones muttering something about how Niccals had dragged her onto the flight at the last minute. Murdoc flashed the men a look before turned his focus back to her. “Look, it was a helluva party, love. No wonder you dun’ remember much. Didn’t have many guests. Said you wanted t’ slip out without ever’one freakin’ out on you.”

“How long ago was this?” she asked, still refusing to believe what she was hearing.

“Dunno...few days ‘go,” he said with a dismissive shrug. “I paid for some high quality hooch, Poppet. It’s a wonder you can even remember your name, honestly.” Her confusion deepened. A_ few days_? A few fucking _days_? What the hell had she been drinking? She could admit to drinking enough to lose a few hours, but a few _days_? It didn’t make any fucking sense! She wouldn’t have dared gotten so blackout drunk that she lost days of her life. Murdoc flashed another smile at her and patted her leg. “Dun’ worry, love, just get some rest. Sort your head out.”

Sinking back in the chair, she closed her eyes and tried to still her swirling thoughts and swirling stomach. None of this made any fucking sense to her but maybe it did? She’d been in rough shape emotionally after the fall out with Alicia and the woman had gone completely off her rocker, right? She remembered that. Maybe she really had agreed to go back with him? If things were falling apart with Alicia and trying to get her life sorted out. And fling or not, there was no denying there was something else there. Would it have been enough for them to agree she leave with him, though? Just seemed like an insanely impulsive move. “So...where are we going?” she asked finally.

Murdoc gestured at the other musicians. “These tossers are takin’ off durin’ our Chicago layover. Headin’ off t’ whatever rocks they climbed out from under. We’ll be headin’ to JFK after that an’ then from there, off t’ home.”

_Home_? She frowned through her closed eyes. Just where the hell was _home_?


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Part II - Behind Blue Eyes**

**Chapter Thirteen**

There were moments when it seemed impossible to believe she was actually staring it, even if only through photos on her computer screen. Vibrant and pink in the distance, but the damage and decay became more visible as the photographer had gotten closer. The island was a ghost town, partially submerged as the sea reclaimed it. The mansion was nearly gone. Some debris on the island itself was identified as some of the house but there were whole sections missing and she assumed they were now at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. The thing that had triggered brief alarms were the skeletal remains littered around the pink and crusty surface. Alicia counted at least six bodies that could be seen on the island itself. There was even a downed plane. The photographer had somehow even managed to get onto the island itself and the close up pictures had been just as alarming. Dark black stains on the pink ground, a particularly large black stain near what she could only assume was what remained of the front entrance. There was a skeleton a few feet away from that and the torn remains of a sweater. Plastic Beach was not only very real, it had been attacked and destroyed. It hadn’t been gimmicks after all. The so called story of the pirate attack had been very real.

It had been nearly five years since her best friend Hailey had vanished. She’d left on a cold November night to see a Gorillaz concert and had vanished off the face of the planet, it seemed. Things had gotten strained between them after Hailey had carelessly gotten herself involved with the Gorillaz bassist, but Alicia had hoped that once the band had left the city, things would calm down. Alicia had awoken the following morning to find Hailey’s room empty but she’d assumed with the band getting ready to leave soon, she may have stayed with the musician at the hotel. Morning dragged on into afternoon and then afternoon into evening with still no sign of Hailey. Then the evening news started running segments about Gorillaz canceling the final stretch of their tour, footage of a heavily damaged hotel room flickering across the screen as the news anchor read the statement Niccals supposedly released before departing. The final image being an actual still from the hotel security footage, showing Hailey standing right there with both Niccals and the singer. The news anchor only mentioned the musicians being seen entering the hotel with an unidentified woman, but nothing further was added about her presence.

Texts to Hailey’s phone went unanswered. Twenty four hours later and still nothing. Jason had dismissed her concern, pointing out that she’d said some very hurtful things and not to be surprised if Hailey cut her off for good. This didn’t make sense to Alicia because they’d been friends for years and years and would Hailey really throw it all away like that? Hell, if she was still upset then why not just respond with a _Fuck you, leave me alone_? She could handle that. At least it told her Hailey was alright. When one day turned into five, Hailey’s work called the dusty land-line they rarely used, her supervisor Gina asking if Hailey had lost her cell phone because calls were going to voice mail and Hailey still wasn’t answering. After seven days, Alicia had reported Hailey missing to the police and her cell’s voice mail was full. By the end of the second week, Hailey’s cell had been completely disconnected.

Alicia had become more and more frantic with the passing weeks. One officer had taken enough interest to look further into it, clearly seeing the same link between the band’s disappearance and Hailey’s disappearance that Alicia had been seeing, but he eventually stopped taking Alicia’s calls. Word had gotten around about the friends falling out and Hailey looking to move to a new place. The police had interviewed everyone who’d had contact with Hailey the day of the concert, both Jason and Alicia included. Alicia had told the police about the fight, but avoided mentioning that it had come to blows. She’d been angered when she discovered that Jason had told them more details about the fight, right down to the fact that the two women had come to blows and that both he and the bassist had to intervene to break them apart. When the police had confronted her for omitting information that could have saved their investigation several days, she’d gone off at them and at Jason. What did it matter what she’d said? Hailey was fragile. Hailey needed her. Why were they all sitting on their asses when her body could be lying in a fucking ditch somewhere?

Everyone – police included – had more or less told Alicia to accept that Hailey had most likely just up and left. Jason broke things off with her but he did remain in contact at a distance. A few friends had started to avoid her, soon no longer responding to her calls or messages. Nobody was willing to believe that there was something sinister behind Hailey’s disappearance. Everyone just went back to their lives as if Hailey never existed. As far as they were all concerned, Hailey had merely run off. Unable to accept this, Alicia had started digging the best she could, focusing on the night of the concert and the hotel discovering the damaged suite the following day. The police had ignored the security footage still simply because it had been no real secret that Hailey had been involved with the bassist. They’d all been seen going in, but there had been no evidence of them physically leaving. Just suddenly gone and Niccals calling to check out by phone. She had soon discovered that half the security cameras were faulty and merely used for optics to keep people from being stupid. If the cameras had been working properly, they probably would have caught something on camera. The only working cameras were the lobby, a south stairwell near the front entrance, the penthouse floor and the parking garage. Unable to access any of that footage, all she could do was move on. Even if something had been picked up, it might not have been much use and would have only proved they were still in the city at least a day after the show.

She managed by some miracle to stay in the apartment and money was certainly tight for a while. A promotion softened things up and allowed her a little more disposable income to invest in her searches, which she’d begun to devote a great deal more time to. She’d posted Hailey’s picture and stats to a missing person website and while it certainly got views and traffic, no one came forward with any information. Alicia just couldn’t understand how someone could vanish without leaving any trace, not even a digital footprint of any kind. Her social media accounts were dead and abandoned. Emails sent with read receipts went unanswered. Alicia didn’t want to believe Hailey was dead, but what else was she supposed to believe when the woman had dropped off the face of the planet?

The months turned to years with little information. One or two leads came in, but it was people saying they’d seen her in Paris maybe a year after her disappearance. A lead was a lead, sure, but it didn’t do her much good when the sightings happened two to three years ago and one wasn’t even a hundred percent sure it had been her. Then some people out traveling had stumbled across the real Point Nemo. The very island everyone had insisted was just a giant prop in the basement. The island that supposedly did not exist. Photos of the island surfaced and soon all the fans were falling over themselves in an effort to track it down and see it with their own eyes. Then came the whispers that the band members were starting to resurface. She found plenty of articles about drummer, Russel, and his new record label but very little on the others. One or two brief interviews from Murdoc in a couple of music magazines, but he was vague about what he’d been doing with his life and danced around any questions that pried beyond talking about music. A few art websites mentioned the singer and guitarist and something about a gallery they were running, but much like Murdoc, interviews were vague.

Sitting in front of her laptop, her breath caught when she finally hit the final image. It was a black enameled hair clip, though most of the enamel was chipped away and the clip itself was rusty. She knew it was Hailey’s hair clip, the very one she’d seen in the woman’s hair the night she left for the show. But it only proved what she now knew – Hailey had been there and was now gone again. Sighing, Alicia turned away from her computer and ventured towards the dining area. She could remember wondering why they’d set the table up because it wasn’t like they took food in there. It had become a glorified junk area for them both up until Hailey vanished. Alicia had turned it into her little impromptu search center. The table was littered with what little information she could find. There was a map on one wall with a few thumbtacks pinned over the last known sightings of Hailey.

For the longest time she had assumed the worst and that Hailey’s remains would be found somewhere years later. Finding out she’d possibly been seen alive a little over a year later had given her hope. It also made her realize that everyone had possibly been right all along. Hailey had washed her hands of her and the city and had simply left without looking back. That didn’t seem right though. Would she leave her entire life behind like that without at least tying up loose ends? She’d put a deposit on an apartment across town. She’d mentioned nothing of leaving to her supervisor and they’d spoken to one another the day of the concert. Everything indicated that Hailey never had any intention of leaving. So what had changed?

Alicia frowned as she scrubbed her hands across her face. So Hailey had gone back with him to the Plastic Beach and appeared to have left the island six months later. Months and months after that, she was possibly sighted in Paris by at least three people with one not a hundred percent sure it had been her because her hair was longer and she was heavier. Did Hailey have travel documents, though? Alicia was sure if Hailey had gotten a passport and traveling Visa of some kind, surely she would have known about it! She wouldn’t have been able to obtain them on short notice. But this would mean that Hailey was a lot more closed off to her than she had wanted to believe. Hadn’t she discovered proof of this even before the woman disappeared? Going to a diner in the middle of the night, talking with the staff as if she knew them...she was a regular at that skeezy little joint, that much Alicia had been certain. Hailey had regular activities and haunts that had excluded Alicia entirely so it was entirely possible she’d obtained at least a passport.

All the band members were accounted for, some interviews as recent as a few months ago, but these interviews didn’t provide the kind of information she’d been looking for. Russel had a record label, 2D and Noodle appeared to be running an art gallery and Murdoc did music scores for television and film. While the others were happy to talk a little of their private lives, Murdoc stone walled any and all attempts to pry. He was rumored to be exceptionally difficult to interview because he refused to talk about his personal life. He was back in the UK and lived in a house somewhere outside of London, but that was as much information as one could find. Nobody knew exactly where. He kept to himself and did most of his work from home. Alicia frowned as she sifted through some of the print outs of the few interviews she’d located online. There were some others, but those would require payment and she wasn’t about to pay for something just to find out they were no different than the free ones she’d found.

The few friends who had remained by her side said that finding out Hailey was possibly alive, even a year or so after her disappearance, should have at least satisfied her. But there’d been no proof it had indeed been Hailey. And those sightings had been from three to three and a half years ago. If Hailey was still alive, someone had to be keeping her off the radar. Someone didn’t want her found. The idea that Hailey herself was keeping a low profile to avoid notice just didn’t register to Alicia. She refused to believe that Hailey herself just decided to uproot and leave on her own accord. The fight alone shouldn’t have been all people needed to believe she just up and left. She’d leased a new apartment. She never put in any resignation with work or even told anyone she was thinking of leaving. Someone took her and someone was making a point to keep her off the grid so she escaped notice. Alicia was pretty certain she knew who that someone was but she couldn’t seem to find any information to prove this.

She dropped back down into the chair and pulled her laptop closer. Closing out the pictures of the island, she went back over to the discussion forum. She’d stumbled across the forum purely by accident one day months back when she’d become desperate. The forum had been created by fans of the band in an effort to piece together what happened during the Plastic Beach tour and beyond. There were several threads dedicated to the current happenings of the band members, but they were older threads she’d visited time and time again with little to no luck. One of the threads was near the top of the list, indicating there were recent replies. Probably just someone asking a question. Those happened a lot. She clicked on the thread anyway and browsed through replies she’d read time and time again. Someone had posted a link with the reply _fast forward to 50 seconds in and look at his hands_. Alicia opened the full reply, realizing quickly she was looking at a video interview with Niccals dated from about two or three months ago. She’d seen this interview. Nothing new. She clicked play anyway and checked at the time stamp the user referenced. Murdoc was sitting back in his chair, talking about a few different pieces he’d worked on for some British television shows. Elbows on his knees, hands loosely clasped in front of him. She paused the video. _Look at his hands_, the user said. He was moving his hands around a bit, so most of it was a blur. Alicia frowned, slowly backing the video up frame by frame to get a clearer look. It was clear for a mere split second, a single ring on one of his fingers. Simple and plain. She had probably overlooked this because it was only captured a brief second. A single plain band on what she was sure was his left ring finger.

Backing out of the forum, she got to her feet and poured herself a cup of coffee. Was that a wedding band? The idea seemed ludicrous because the man had been the poster boy of immaturity and irresponsibility for many years. Was the marriage recent? Normally the entertainment rags were quick to catch wind of things like that, especially with celebrities who were known playboys. She’d found nothing mentioning any marriage but if he was as private as people claimed, he may very well had kept everything under wraps. She filed this little nugget of thought away as she closed the laptop and wandered back to her bedroom so she could get ready for work. Definitely look further into this once she was back home. Could just be a plain ring of any kind, but it was literally the only ring seen on his hands and it was on his left hand to boot. She didn’t have time to look further into it at the moment. It would have to wait for later.

****************************************

Upon walking into the apartment, Alicia dropped her things by the door and booted her laptop up. As she waited for the laptop to boot up, she changed into some lounge clothes and grabbed a seltzer water from the fridge. It had been a pretty low key day and though she’d gotten a lot done at work, she’d kept bringing up that singular image in her head of his hands and that single plain ring. Could be nothing but could also be something. Nine hours later, she was hoping there were some updates on that particular thread with the video. If he had indeed gotten married, surely there was a record of it somewhere. Weren’t those things public record or was that only a U.S. sort of thing? Quickly plopping down into the chair at the dining table, she logged into the laptop and pulled the discussion forum back up.

The reply with the interview video was now its own thread and it was full of replies. Alicia browsed through the replies carefully, finding mostly simple responses of disbelief. Nearly everyone who had replied to the thread were refusing to believe the man had actually gotten married and many insisted it was just a plain ring with no significance. The downside to these threads was that recent responses were always at the top. Loads of _Wow! OMG! No way!_ She scanned further down, opening up replies that had turned into their own separate threads. One response caught her attention. _The shit’s public record guys. He got married in France like 4 yrs ago!_ Married in France? Wasn’t there a sighting of Hailey in Paris over three years ago? She hadn’t given the sighting much thought because she hadn’t wanted to believe the woman had the means to travel around. One of the replies posted a screen shot from a music magazine website that required paid membership to read the material. Nothing more than a snippet from the interview. _After breaking away from Gorillaz in 2010, he went on to lead a relatively low-key life, disappearing from the spot-light for nearly two years. When he resurfaced in 2012, he surprised friends and fans alike when he reappeared sober, married and with an infant son. “It shocked everyone," he says with a chuckle. "I suppose everyone thought I would be __a_ _complete degenerate__ for the rest of my life. __Things change, man, and I wasn’t getting any fucking younger__.”_

Alicia leaned back into her chair. Shit, he has a kid? That would certainly explain why he refused to discuss anything beyond his line of work. But didn’t he also have like five other kids who were now adults? She was sure she could remember reading something about that. The current kid would still be pretty young, though, right? Three, maybe four years old tops. She returned her focus to the thread, catching sight of more replies. A few were admonishing the other members, saying that the man deserved his privacy and they needed to stop playing super sleuth. Some were under the belief the man’s fame made him open to whatever fans wanted to know and a few even said they had a right to know. All Alicia wanted to know was what had happened to her best friend. And Niccals was her only link to this mystery.

He got married in France. Hailey was sighted in Paris. One lead said they weren’t a hundred percent sure it was her because she looked a little different than the missing person photo. Niccals had a young son who was born in 2011 or 2012. The sightings of Hailey had taken place in late 2011 and very early 2012. The idea that Hailey could be the mother seemed like such a foreign concept, but the math didn’t lie, even if Alicia didn’t have exact dates. Hailey had said often that she never wanted marriage or children. Was it possible the man had knocked up someone else and that led to them parting ways? He wasn’t exactly known for being faithful. Or maybe something happened that ended with him having sole custody and he married someone to help him take care of the kid. Other than those few sightings of her in France, there’d been nothing else. Her mother had died giving birth to her. Was it possible she’d died giving birth to the son? Alicia shook her head, now feeling like she had more questions that answers. If she had indeed passed, there might be an obituary of some sort or an article about it but people died every day and not every death was recorded in the papers. Even if Hailey was dead, she might never find out.

Returning her focus back to the thread, she browsed through some more replies that told her little more than what she had already found out. There was a new post at the top, something about the singer and guitarist. Opening the thread up, a picture loaded up and a wave of chills crashed through her. It was 2D and Noodle, without a doubt. They were photographed outside of the art gallery they supposedly ran and Alicia realized she recognized it. She passed by it often while running around the city. The fucking gallery was here in Seattle? But it wasn’t just the outside face of the gallery that caught her attention. It was the people in the picture. 2D was standing there with a cup of Starbucks in his hand, a very pregnant Noodle standing near him. She was smiling and talking with Niccals, who was holding a little boy in arms. Right beside Niccals, looking down at her phone with a hand on his shoulder, was Hailey. Alicia took a moment to register who she was seeing in the picture, not sure she wanted to believe it. Taking a slow and steady breath, she hit reply. _When was this taken?_

A few replies pointed out that the woman standing next to Murdoc and the child looked a lot like the woman he was seen with at that costume party several years back. The original poster took their time responding, fielding the other remarks first. They confirmed it was the same woman and even posted the newspaper photo that had appeared in the Lifestyles section five years ago. Was this person going to ignore her or what? Several minutes passed before she was alerted of the reply. _Took it the other day while out shopping with friends. Would have taken a few more but Murdoc barked at us to mind our business when he realized we were staring at them._

*******************************************

Jason looked at the print out of the picture, simply shaking his head as he pushed it back towards Alicia. “Okay, it’s her. You suspected she was with him this whole time and now you have proof. She’s alive. She appears well. That should be enough for you to settle this and move on.” Everyone had told her for years that Hailey most likely just walked away after everything that had happened. It certainly had seemed impulsive, especially upon finding out she’d been simply seeking to move to a new apartment across town, but didn’t change the fact that the proof was staring Alicia in the face and it was time to drop the matter once and for all.

“Why not come forward to at least let the authorities know she was alive and well?” Alicia said as she took the print out back. “Why allow everyone to believe the worst?”

Jason didn’t say anything at first, simply staring at her from across the table. He almost hadn’t agreed to meet up with her at the cafe, but she’d been insistent. He’d been little more than a passive witness from the sidelines to Alicia’s obsessive five year search for her missing friend. Tidbits of information came out here and there but otherwise it was truly as if Hailey had vanished. But just like the police and numerous others who were aware of what had taken place the day she vanished, he assumed Hailey had simply turned her back on this life in search of something else, whatever else that something might be. Sighing loudly, he shook his head again. “It wasn’t _everyone_, Ali,” he said in a low voice. “It was just _you_. Did you forget the horrible things you said to her?”

Alicia frowned at him, pointing to the picture. “She’s here in the city, Jason. Here in the city _as we speak_!”

“I can see that,” he snapped back a little more harshly than he intended. He glanced back down at the picture, his gaze falling to the little boy Murdoc was holding. “Do you know what else I see, Alicia? I see a couple with their kid visiting with friends. I see people who probably don’t want an ex friend barging into their lives.” He could already tell by the look on Alicia’s face that his words were falling on deaf ears. She absolutely refused to consider the very real possibility that Hailey wanted nothing to do with her. “Seriously, Alicia...I don’t want to see you hurt anymore than you already are, but you need to really consider the fact that Hailey has moved on with her life and whatever might have remained of your friendship. You said some horrible things to her. Regardless if you think she needed to hear those things are not, it was still really shitty to say them out loud.”

“She needed to hear them,” Alicia insisted with a shake of her head. “She’s a damaged person who can’t navigate how our world works and that was why we were brought together as friends. Then _he_ barged in and took her away.”

There would be no reasoning with her, he could see that now. Still convinced that Hailey was this broken and damaged person who couldn’t survive without Alicia’s guidance. Clearly the woman was handling herself just fine without Alicia’s help. She certainly looked perfectly fine in the picture. Alicia was the only one who seemed to think something else was at work here. “Look,” he said firmly, “she’s clearly doing hunky dory without your help. Accept the friendship is done and move on with your life, Ali. Make some new friends if you need a fix it project so fucking badly.”

“But he took her away,” she insisted, looking at him with wide eyes. She pointed down at the picture, her finger landing squarely on Murdoc. “He is responsible for this. If he hadn’t barged into our lives, she would still be here where she belonged!”

Raking a hand through his hair, he uttered a loud groan. “That may be so, but she still chose to leave with him and she chooses to stay with him.”

“She might not have a choice!” she snapped back, her face going scarlet. “If she had truly left with him on her own accord, why go through the trouble of putting a deposit on a new place here in the city? Why not put in her resignation at work? Why not tie up the loose ends here first before running off?”

“I don’t know and I really don’t care,” he shot back as he got to his feet. “You’re seeing with your own damned eyes that she’s fine. She left. She moved on. Why she didn’t tie things up officially is moot now, don’t you fucking think? Jesus Alicia, the proof she’s alive and well is looking you right in the face and you’re still hung up this shit.”

He could hear her stammering as he dropped some cash onto the table to pay for his food and walked away. There was no choice but to walk away. He could even admit to feeling some regret for keeping in contact with her, even if only infrequently. She’d practically bitten his head off years back when he’d given his statement to the police who’d been looking into Hailey’s disappearance. The fight Alicia had intentionally kept from them. She had assumed he would do the same, but he wasn’t going to lie to them when they were trying to do their job and investigate the missing person case. Then Hailey’s supervisor had mentioned to them about the falling out, Hailey telling her herself over lunch that the two friends were no more and Hailey was looking to leave the apartment she’d shared with the former friend. Everything said and found had led the police to believe Hailey had simply picked up and left, which is what Jason had honestly assumed from the beginning. Even if Alicia didn’t believe Hailey would do such a thing – even if Alicia didn’t believe Hailey had the means to leave the country – it didn’t change the fact that the woman had been working pretty quickly on removing herself from Alicia’s life and clearly succeeded in that.

Walking out of the cafe, he veered a hard right and started to walk back towards his car. Let her make a fool of herself and see what happens, he fumed silently. She’ll probably make a scene and just prove to everyone that she’d become completely unglued over the whole Hailey-Murdoc fiasco. She could very well cost herself her job and what few friends she might have left. Honestly, he was surprised she still had a few sticking by her. He’d seen what the inside of the apartment looked like. Map on the wall, paperwork, print offs and updated information on the band. Hailey’s room closed off and untouched like some sort of fucking morbid shrine. Bed hadn’t even been made. Nothing changed since the last moment Hailey had been in there. The towel for her fucking hair was even still hanging off the back of her desk chair.

Pausing at his car, he let out a heavy sigh and leaned into the sedan. He didn’t really think she’d get too far with the information she’d found. She only knew they were in town and that was it. No idea where they were staying or where they even currently were at the moment. Millions of people lived and worked in Seattle and maybe a million more visited. She would never be able to find out where Niccals was staying let alone get close enough to them. And what would she even do if she managed? Confront Murdoc? Confront him for what exactly? Offering understanding and companionship to Hailey? Offering a chance to escape and start again? Clearly there’d been a lot more happening between them than Alicia had wanted to see. It verified his belief that Alicia had become jealous and saw the musician as a threat to the friendship. Was she still jealous, even after all these years? Did she think she’d be able to convince Hailey to come back and be her sidekick again when she now had a kid and partner? He shook his head as he put the sedan in gear. Alicia was a bit over the top obsessed, but she relied heavily on what she considered normal and civilized. She might approach them and maybe put her foot in her mouth a few too many times, but he couldn’t see it going any further than that.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**

Taking a moment to wipe away some smudges from the glass pane walls, Stuart paused to check his reflection in the glass. He’d cut his shaggy blue hair a few years back, sporting a more modern close cropped cut. With the band finally parting ways, he had started going by his given name and hadn’t heard anyone call him 2D in years, really. Murdoc still called him Dents, but that was about it. Noodle referred to him as Stuart, Russ called him Stu and many of their patrons at the gallery referred to him as Mister Tusspot, which gave him a bit of an eye twitch because that was what his father had been called. He didn’t feel like a Mister Tusspot, but whatever. If that’s what people wanted to call him, so be it.

From the front of the gallery, he heard the entrance door chime, alerting him that someone had come inside. He hoped it wasn’t another homeless person seeking to escape the incoming fall weather. Much like London and Essex, Seattle seemed to do nothing but fucking rain. And it was a cold rain on top of it. The first year they had opened, they had to shoo away street kids and others who were simply seeking a place to stay warm, which broke his heart. After that first year, he and Noods decided to start donating proceeds towards some homeless outreach centers as well as a few non profits that helped the homeless get back on their feet. He wasn’t sure what else could be done. They didn’t have the means or permits to set anything up for them on their own. Sighing at the somewhat sad looking face reflected back, he stepped from around the glass and made his way towards the entrance. What awaited him at the entrance was not one of Seattle’s multitude of street people, but a woman. If he had to guess, she was probably only a few inches shorter than him. Tall, fit, massive set of knockers and hair that looked almost white. “Hullo!” he chirped happily at the newcomer. “Help ya, love?”

“Hi,” she said softly, stepping closer and extending a hand. Her age was hard to guess. Though he wanted to say maybe thirties, she had small girlish features that just didn’t quite look right on her. Like a child’s head on an adult body. He’d read a book about something like that and seeing something similar in the flesh sent a weird shiver down his spine. The woman – oblivious to his internal discomfort – smiled when he accepted the outstretched hand. “You’re 2D, right?”

Stuart took a breath, expecting another star-struck fan to start gushing about how great the band was and how wonderful he was and she couldn’t believe she was actually speaking with him. They’d had just as many of those as they had street people seeking shelter. “Err....go by Stu now, love. What can I do for ya?”

“My name’s Alicia,” she said, smiling nervously at him. The name sparked something in his memory, but he wasn’t quite able to place it. It wasn’t an uncommon name but not one he’d heard often and he was certain there was something attached to the name he needed to remember, but couldn’t. Her smile faltered at the corners. She had been clearly hoping her name meant something. “Hailey’s friend,” she added. “You do know Hailey, right?”

Stuart withdrew his hand and took a step back. He knew why the name rang a bell for him now. This was that mate of Hailey’s who’d gone mental some years back. The one both Hailey and Murdoc had told him at length about. Murdoc had been there when things went south, the woman standing in front of him unleashing a vitriol onto Hailey, calling her horrible things and saying horrible things all because Murdoc and her had gotten closer than the woman was comfortable with. Things had gotten so bad, Murdoc and this woman’s partner had to break them apart because it had come to blows. “Uhhh...hi.”

“I really don’t want to be a bother,” she said, remaining just within the entrance and making no effort to move further into the gallery. “I’m just trying to find my friend.” She pulled out what appeared to be a print out of a picture. It was him with Noodle, Murdoc, Hailey and their little boy Alec. Alicia pointed to Hailey. “I’m looking for her. When you guys left the city five years ago, she vanished too.”

Stuart shook his head, unsure of how he should approach this. He’d been under the impression that this woman was well aware that Hailey wanted zero to do with her. It had been an absolutely crazy night for them all and not one he really wanted to remember. Thinking back on it brought phantom pain to his scalp and lingering feelings of terror. Christ, he could feel the shivers rippling up his spine. For a split second he could even see that face with the one eye looking off to the side and that fucking wide horrifying grin. He opened his mouth, ready to tell her to leave, wanting her away from him because he was starting to shake and needed to get away. Upon hearing Noodle’s voice, he almost moaned with relief. She came from the office space in the back, pausing beside Stuart and looking at the newcomer with wary eyes. “Stuart, who is this?”

“Hi, I’m Alicia,” the blond haired woman said with a smile, extended her hand out towards the Noodle as she paused next to Stuart. When Noodle merely looked at her hand without accepting it, the woman’s smile fell as her hand dropped to her side. “I’m looking for my friend, Hailey. You guys apparently know her?”

“I’m afraid you are mistaken,” Noodle said curtly, remaining at Stuart’s side. “We do know a Hailey, yes, but she has made no mention of any friend named Alicia.” Noodle stepped forward and grabbed the door to the entrance, opening it slowly. “Sorry you have wasted your time, Alicia.”

“I’m just trying to find my friend,” Alicia whispered, her voice taking on the strain that indicated she was struggling to control the onset of tears. “I’m scared for her...”

Noodle’s expression was unreadable, her eyes looking over the woman carefully. “I’m sorry but we really must get back to work.” She attempted to usher the newcomer towards the door, the muscles in her face going rigid when the woman still seemed to not get the hint. “Please, Alicia, we have a great deal to finish before tonight. We’re sorry your visit here was a waste of your time.”

The woman remained frozen in place, her eyes going glassy as if she were about to burst into tears. Dropping his gaze to his feet, Stuart remained quiet in the hopes that Noodle could get this woman out the door without too much trouble. How long had she been searching for her mate? What kind of information did she find? Had there been a loose end Murdoc hadn’t been able to tie up before their rushed departure five years ago? Nobody knew what had really happened that night other than Stuart, Murdoc, Hailey and Noodle and it had been a tight lipped secret between them all. Nobody was to know the truth, not even the other musicians who’d been part of the tour. The Cyborg had malfunctioned and almost killed him that night after the show. Murdoc had tried to get it under control and had been tossed around like a rag doll. Stuart had panicked and bolted out of the room only to be found by Murdoc hours later. Still panicked, he’d fought back and Murdoc had gotten him under control the only way he knew how, brute force. But the bassist had been in panic mode to and pretty much was doing whatever he felt necessary to get shit under control. Stuart didn’t see Hailey when they got back to the hotel and had wondered if Murdoc had sent her on her way to avoid further trouble. It was only when the singer and the other musicians had all been boarding the plane a day and a half later that Murdoc appeared with a sluggish and slurring Hailey. She had been on her feet and sort of walking, but it was clear something was wrong. Mumbling to herself, incoherent, and needing Murdoc to keep her upright. Cass had been furious at the spectacle, firing off at Murdoc about dragging his drunk slags along for the ride. Stuart had helped get her settled and she was out before the flight took off. She had finally come around a few hours later, confused and unable to remember anything.

Stuart shook away the memories, returning his focus on the blond woman standing just a few feet in front of him. Maybe knowing Hailey was okay would be enough and she’d drop it. She did have photographic proof, though he couldn’t quite figure out how she’d managed to get a snap of them. Realizing she had a picture of them triggered alarms in his head. Hailey had told them the woman was not mentally sound and things had come to a head the morning before the concert. There was nothing he could see that would indicate she was a nutter other than the fact that she was holding a snap of them that was taken maybe forty-eight hours ago. They’d been standing outside the gallery talking, trying to figure out where to meet up for dinner later. He certainly couldn’t remember seeing her and he would have definitely noticed a bird like this. She was a bit weird looking, but what did he know? He was six-foot-two with blue hair and black eyes. Seeing a six foot tall skinny woman with big tits, white blond hair and a baby face shouldn’t be weird to him.

Noodle appeared to be losing her patience with the woman, gesturing towards the door with a tight lipped smile on her face. “If you’ll excuse us...we really must be going!” The woman looked at them both with large and glassy eyes, tears starting to fall before she blinked and finally turned and slipped out the door without a word. Noodle shut the door and clicked the lock over, turning the sign around to indicate they were closed. “You didn’t say anything, did you?”

“No,” he said with a shake of his head. “Why would I tell her an’fink? I know who dat bird is. Dat was Hailey’s ol’ mate, da one she got in t’ a row wiff before we left da city.” Satisfied with his response, she turned and started walking towards the back where the offices were. Stuart trailed behind her, casting a quick glance over his shoulder and seeing the Alicia woman standing at the window, looking out at the street.

Reaching the office, Noodle shut the door behind them and dropped into her chair. Sighing, she scrubbed her hands across her face and pushed her dark hair from her eyes. He soon realized she was shaken by the encounter, knowing the woman’s history with their friend. Sighing, she let her hands drop to her lap. “She had a photo of us. How did she get a photo of us?”

“Dunno,” he said through a shrug. He’d been wondering the same. No doubt they would have noticed a bird who looked like that if she’d been outside taking pictures of them. Murdoc had barked at some kids who were lingering just a bit too long for his comfort. Were they the ones who took the picture? And if so, how did she get her hands on it? None of that mattered at the moment, though, because they had to figure out what to do. The woman knew Hailey was in the city or at least had been in the city at some point. “Should we call Muds an’ Hailey?” he asked finally as he sank into the chair on the other side of her desk. “Let dem know dat bird is lookin’ for her? What if she calls da police?”

Noodle didn’t respond right away, thinking hard about his question before finally shaking her head. “Hailey is aware that the woman is looking for her, Stuart. The police won’t do anything because Hailey already called them and handled the missing person file. I’m not concerned with the woman right this moment because all she knows is that Hailey has been here. She doesn’t know where they’re staying because she would have gone there before coming to us, I’m sure.”

“Yeah, but she still came here lookin’,” he said, unable to hide the worry in his voice. “An’ Hailey said she’s not well. Freaked out on her.” He didn’t want this woman causing them trouble if she was still hung up on tracking Hailey down. She acted no different than any friend trying to find a missing loved one. That was what got to him. There was no indication she was unwell or that she was even aware that the friendship with Hailey was over.

“Freaked out on her five years ago,” Noodle said softly, booting up her laptop. “A lot can happen to people in five years, yes? Look at our friends, they’re a good example of this.” She flashed a smile at him as she logged into the laptop and worked on opening up some of the spreadsheets and billing statements. “I imagine if she were still unwell, she wouldn’t be on the street. She found a lead of some kind and followed up on it, nothing more. I still don’t know how she got that picture, but we can figure that out later.”

“What ‘bout Hailey an’ Muds?” he asked again. “I fink we should call dem.”

“Let them enjoy their holiday, Stuart,” she said a bit more firmly. “If the woman makes herself a problem, I will be sure to let them know.”

****************************************

The hours that passed in the parked car were hours upon hours of boredom. Sipping a bitter coffee and browsing through her phone, Alicia occasionally let her eyes surface to the art gallery. So far, the only things she’d seen were 2D – Stuart, she reminded herself – or Noodle coming out to fix a few signs and maybe the occasional patron who wandered in to take a look at the art. She had hoped that maybe there would be a chance of Hailey showing up. Maybe they already left the city? The picture the person had taken said it was the previous day, but they could have been lying and it was also possible they’d caught them on the tail end of their visit. The thing that pricked her the most was the fact that Stuart and Noodle knew who she was. She could tell by the looks on their faces that they were well aware of who she was once she said her name and connection to Hailey. This meant the two had been told about her. What they were told, she didn’t know but it was obvious it wasn’t good. Most likely nothing but lies about her. Taking her desire to help and protect Hailey and turning it into petty jealousy and possessiveness.

When Noodle emerged from the gallery, talking on her cell phone, Alicia hunkered down in the driver’s seat of her car. She was parked far enough down not to attract notice, but didn’t want to chance the woman seeing her. She felt the low burn of anger as she watched the woman. When Noodle had all but kicked her out, she so wanted to scream and resist, but had to remember that you just couldn’t do that. Perhaps if she was able to get Stuart alone, she could get more information but he and Noodle never seemed far apart. Why was it so difficult to understand that she only wanted to see her friend again? Why act like she was something dangerous and something to be feared? Hailey was the one who had attacked her! Leaping onto her like a rabid little goblin, fists swinging. It was further proof that Hailey was unstable and unable to achieve the normal life people like Alicia could get. She needed her and refused to acknowledge that. Understanding or not, you don’t latch onto another damaged person. It was a recipe for disaster and led to generation after generation of damaged people.

Setting the cup of coffee aside, she lit a cigarette and continued to watch the gallery from her parked car. The sidewalks were crowded and it was becoming more and more difficult to pick out heads and faces in the sea of bodies. Sitting back up, Alicia frowned as she turned over the engine of the car. It had been a good three hours and she had not seen a sign of either one of them. Casting one last glance at the gallery, she got ready to pull out into the busy street. She wasn’t sure what else she could do at this point. It was very possible she’d missed the opportunity. They could very well already be on their way back home. Sighing, she pulled slowly out into the street and got a few yards before being stopped at a light. It had her practically in front of the gallery and she could feel the sweats break out as Noodle paced around the front of the gallery on her cell phone. One single glance to her right and she’d see Alicia sitting right. There was another car between them, but that didn’t mean she’d escape notice.

In the side mirror, she spotted a maroon car pull up to the end of the block the gallery resided on, slipping easily into a parallel parking slot at the end of the line. The occupants of the car were climbing out and Alicia uttered a low groan when she spotted Hailey skirt around the front of the car from the passenger side over to the driver’s side. She stopped right at the sidewalk, giving Murdoc a quick hug before slipping into the driver’s side. Alicia watched carefully as Murdoc leaned towards the back and waved at the window, most likely waving at the child. Alicia felt her breath catch as the maroon car pulled into traffic. Murdoc made a brisk walk towards the gallery, cheerily greeting Noodle before both of them vanished through the front entrance. The car was now about five cars behind her in the left lane. Idling still in the right lane, Alicia flicked the blinker so she could make a right turn and get around the block so she could try to tail the car. The traffic was much heavier this time of the day and she knew there was a risk of losing the maroon car, but she just had to take a chance.

Circling around the block, she found herself far enough back that she could certainly escape being noticed, but all it would take was one last minute turn and she’d lose her for good. As they moved sluggishly through the heavy downtown traffic, Alicia managed to remain a good five or six cars behind. The maroon car – identified as a rental – was making its way out of the heavier center of the city and moving towards the outskirts. Business and apartment buildings gave way to more residential areas full of single family homes and townhouses. The cars between them trickled down to just a few and Alicia had to pull back a bit and give the maroon rental a bit more space. When the rental took a sudden right, Alicia cruised past the road, catching sight of a neighborhood full of townhomes and the maroon car was pulling into the garage of one of them. A quick glance and count told her the home was about half a block down the street. Though connected to several other row homes, each one had its own unique color. The one the maroon rental had pulled into was a strange shade of orange. Easily identifiable because it was the first orange one on that side.

Alicia parked a few blocks down the road and took a few shaking breaths to get herself in check. So they lived in the city then? Living here this whole time and she’d been none the wiser? Maybe it was an AirBNB. Those things were becoming quite popular and some could be considerably cheaper than a hotel. She lit another cigarette, looking around the quiet neighborhood. Should she wait it out or leave? She wasn’t sure what she planned to do now that she’d made it this far. She hadn’t even really planned anything beyond just finding her. What could she do? What would she say? “Where have you been?” she whispered aloud, biting back against the lump in her throat and the sting of tears. She’d been searching for five years and fearing the absolute worst. Hailey was alive and she was tied to the man who had driven the wedge between them. What kind of hold did he have on her that she would allow him to tear her away from all she knew? She thought back to some of the interviews she’d found of Niccals. Dancing around any questions that tried to pry beyond his current line of work. Intentionally vague or misleading. Almost as if he were trying to hide something. Hailey was sighted a few brief times several years back and then there was nothing. Was he keeping her off the radar? Why?

She hated the fact that she felt like she had more questions than answers and she knew the only way she’d get any answers was if she confronted him or Hailey directly. But how could she do this? Niccals was at the gallery now and Hailey was at the townhouse with the boy. Showing up and knocking on the door was absolutely out of the question. Niccals wouldn’t hesitate to bar her from getting close if he caught wind that she’d tried to reach out to Hailey. She needed an advantage some how. A way to get to Hailey without any barriers. The weather was shit, so hoping they’d make a trip to a near by park was probably not on their itinerary. She stubbed her cigarette out, catching a glimpse of movement in the rear-view mirror. The maroon rental was out again, turning onto the street she was parked on, going in the opposite direction. Going back towards downtown. They’d only been at the townhouse twenty, maybe twenty-five minutes tops and she couldn’t imagine they’d go back to the house just to leave again to retrieve Niccals. Where were they going?

Pulling back onto the road and making a hard U-turn, she crawled down the quiet neighborhood street as she attempted to keep some distance between her and the maroon rental. It made a left turn, taking a road that was leading them away from the gallery. Still trailing behind the rental, Alicia watched as it took a right and then another left, eventually leading them to a local supermarket. The rental pulled in and parked in the crowded parking lot, lost in a sea of vehicles. Alicia drove around the backside of the store, emerging on the far side of parking lot and finding a slot that kept her a distance away from the rental and out of sight. Though she was driving a newer car and knew Hailey wouldn’t recognize it, she still feared that the woman would recognize her.

With her back to the main part of the parking lot, Alicia only caught a brief glimpse of Hailey walking through the rows of parked cars and into the store, the boy seen walking beside her with his hand in hers. Alicia took a few deep breaths, exhaling loudly within the confines of her car before finally stepping out and making a brisk walk towards the other entrance. Her heart was racing, her mind a riot of thoughts of emotions as she tried to casually grab a shopping cart and start moving through the aisles. It was a newer market, one she had heard of and even seen ads in the paper for, but had never stepped foot inside. Too out of the way from home and she got a discount at the market she worked at – which happened to be closer to the apartment building. This one clearly catered to the area they were in. The prices were significantly higher than even the QFC over near the Pacific Science Center. Sighing, Alicia reached out with shaking hands and dropped a few items into the cart as she veered around and went down the next aisle.

What was she doing to say when she encountered Hailey? She was hoping she could make it appear as if this were merely a chance run in with the woman but wasn’t sure exactly what she could say the moment she laid eyes on her. As she slowly walked into the next aisle, she could hear a child’s voice – accented – chattering away. “Da says he wants peanut butter cups. You gonna buy the peanut butter cups?”

Alicia froze when Hailey’s voice chimed in. “Your Dad always wants peanut butter cups, Alec. If he could live off of them, he probably would.” They were right there! Just one aisle over! She could hear the squeaky cart they were using as it made its trek down the aisle. The boy, Alec, kept babbling about various sweets he wanted, which were followed by a somewhat irritated sounding Hailey reminding him that they were only there for a few things and he could get a treat when they returned home.

The squeak from the cart indicated it was coming to the end of the other aisle and moving to the one Alicia stood in. A spike of panic shot through Alicia as she turned hurriedly to the rows of instant potatoes and other boxed potato concoctions. She tried to focus on some boxes of scalloped potatoes, listening as the boy’s chatter got louder and louder. When the squeak of the cart stopped, she chanced a side glance, spying the boy sitting in the main part of the cart and still babbling away. Scanning upward, her gaze landed on Hailey, who was occupied with some different boxed rice meals. She hadn’t noticed her yet. Jesus, they were maybe thirty feet apart and Hailey still wasn’t aware that she was there. Why would she notice, though? As Hailey pushed the squeaking cart further down the aisle, it gave Alicia a chance to examine them both a bit more closely. The boy seemed to favor both parents equally. Shaggy dark brown hair, a nose that may have been inherited from his father, Hailey’s ears, the same prominent chin that Niccals had, definitely Niccals’ smile and large green eyes that no doubt were inherited from his mother. He was a small boy and if she hadn’t heard him speak as clearly as he did, would have assumed him much younger than he was.

Hailey was a little heavier, but not by much. Dark brown hair loosely braided, trailing just to the dip of her lower back. Much like Niccals, there were little signs she’d aged. Laugh lines etched a little deeper and there were some greys in her dark hair, but overall it was Hailey standing there as she checked over the different boxed side dishes. The boy was still clamoring on about sweets and the muscles in Hailey’s face tensed as she huffed and turned to look down at the boy in the cart. “Now you lost your treat privilege, little man.” When the boy erupted into a high pitched whine, Hailey shook her head. “Nope, not gonna work, Alec. I warned you several times, did I not?”

Alicia swallowed hard, turned towards them and realizing that Hailey still had no idea she was mere feet away, too preoccupied with the boy. Taking a breath, Alicia stopped near the end of the shopping cart, taking in Hailey’s grunt of surprise as she looked up at Alicia. The color drained from the dark-haired woman’s face as she took a step back, pulling the cart away from Alicia. Words failed her briefly as she took in the sight of Hailey and the boy, realizing she had been woefully unprepared for if and when this moment finally came. Taking a few shaking breaths and swallowing loudly, Alicia finally found her voice. “Hailey...? Is that really you?”

Hailey merely stood there, stunned at seeing her, but recovering quickly as she frowned and continued to pull the cart backward. “Hi Alicia,” she said flatly, eyes locked on her. Everything about her stance and movement said she was on the defensive. The boy in the cart simply looked from his mother over to Alicia, smiling broadly at her. Taking a breath, Hailey started to draw back further, ready to take the cart and move on to the next aisle. “I didn’t realize you shopped here too. I’ve never seen you here before.”

“I don’t come here often,” Alicia said quickly, unable to take her eyes off the boy. “It’s a bit out of my way.” She chanced a quick glance back up to Hailey’s face, tearing her eyes away when Hailey’s cold green eyes met hers, full of suspicion and on guard. Swallowing back the lump that had formed in her throat, Alicia gestured towards the boy. “Is this your son?”

“No, just a random kid I picked up.” There was no humor in the woman’s voice and Alicia could feel her nerve wavering as she struggled to figure out just what she wanted to say. Hailey made a noise, pulling the cart around and trying to leave the aisle. “Hey, nice chat. I’m gonna get moving now.”

“Wait!” Alicia cried out suddenly, catching the attention of a few other patrons. “Please...don’t walk away again, Hailey! I just want some answers.”

Hailey turned around to face her, the expression on her face only barely concealing her anger. “You’re in no position to demand anything from me,” she whispered coolly. “Your memory works good enough, I’m sure. Replay how that day went and figure it out for yourself.”

Alicia watched as Hailey turned the cart around to remove herself from the aisle. This was her one chance to find out the truth, to get the answers she deserved. As Hailey turned her back to her, she lunged forward and latched onto Hailey’s arm, the words tumbling from her mouth. “You owe me an explanation, Hailey! Why did you leave with him?”

Tearing her arm away, Hailey sneered up at her. “You really think I owe you? You know my reasons, Alicia. _You_ chose to destroy our friendship. _You_ chose to act like an ass. It was all _you_, don’t you get it?” The boy was staring at them now with curious and wide eyes. She let out a heavy and annoyed sigh as she turned away from Alicia. “I’m not going to do this in front of Alec. Just leave me alone, Alicia.”

She watched as Hailey  started to walk towards the check out, part of her pointing out that the woman was walking with a limp and it looked as if her right leg was turned inward .  When had that happened? Shaking her head, she tucked the observation away for later. She finally had Hailey here and s he  wasn’t going to let this chance for answers slip through her fingers . Five years of fearing the worst and wondering what had happened and she finds out the woman is alive and well and playing house with the roach? What happened over the years? Was she working? Did he force her to stay home and take care of his kid and him? Shaking her head, she continued to watch as Hailey exited the market with some bags in the cart,  walking as fast as she could towards where she’d parked the rental,  her limp impeding her progress . 

Alicia wasn’t going to let her walk away again without giving her the explanation she was owed. She deserved to know what had happened and why Hailey had never bothered to reach out. She ignored the stares as she abandoned her cart and jogged out of the market towards where Hailey had parked. “You’re not running away from me again!” she barked, catching sight of Hailey’s enraged expression as she leaned into the vehicle to buckle the boy into car-seat. “ You’re not going to walk away again without giving me some kind of explanation! ”

“You’re fucking nuts,” Hailey snapped as she closed the back passenger door and returned to the back of the car. She popped the trunk and started to sling the bags in. “Let me spell it out for you. You said some really fucked up things about me and about him. What did you call us –  _ damaged goods _ ?  The friendship was over the moment you started to run your mouth .  I don’t owe you any answer or explanation.  I have a good life, something you said I could never have. Now walk away and move on so I can fucking live it. ”

Alicia shook her head, a bitter laugh erupting from he r .  Why couldn’t Hailey understand that she had only been looking out for her and trying to protect her?  “ You’re mad because the truth hurts ,” she shot back,  ignoring the steely gaze from the shorter woman . “ He targeted you because he knew he could use you and manipulate you and you were too blind to see it. Now look where it got you...t rapped .”

Hailey’s gaze was acidic, her hackles up as she closed in on the taller woman. “Christ, you have some fucking nerve,” she hissed through clenched teeth. “You really think me so inept that I need you to hold my fucking hand? What kind of fucking warped alternate reality do you live in?”

“ You know I’m right ,”  Alicia whispered back, continuing to move backward to keep distance between them. “If  you’d only listened to me from the beginning, y ou wouldn’t have allowed him  to come between our friendship and you certainly wouldn’t have let him knock you up or be manipulated into marrying him . ”  She took a shaky breath, keeping her gaze on the steely green slits that stared back at her. “ That  _ good life _ you think you have is nothing more than a farce and you know it.  This is your home.  You belong here, Hailey. You belong here in Seattle with your friends and people who love you and look out for you. Not with that roach and whatever kind of fucked up life he’s offered.”

Hailey’s face went scarlet, her eyes blazing as she closed in. She was significantly shorter than Alicia, standing maybe five-foot-four to Alicia’s five-foot-eleven, but the building rage that could be felt emanating from her made Alicia draw back  cautiously. If this wasn’t proof she was incapable, Alicia didn’t know what was! Obviously  she had hit a nerve i f it had Hailey on the defensive and ready to tear her throat out. Still seething, Hailey glared up at her, fists clenched at her sides. “I’m going to give you to the count of three to get the fuck out of my face and out of this car park,” she snarled icily. “The only reason I’m not beating you into a stain on the pavement is because my four year old son is in the back of the car and he does not need to see this, even if you deserve it, you  _ arrogant fucking cunt _ !” Taking a shaky breath, Hailey turned back towards the rental. “One!” she barked into the cold air. Opening the driver side door, she cast another icy glance in Alicia’s direction. “Two!”

Taking the hint, Alicia turned and ran back towards her car. Tears sprang to her eyes as she practically threw herself into the driver’s seat, the sob erupting from her as she struggled to start the car. From the rear-view mirror, she caught only a glimpse of the tail lights of the maroon rental as it pulled out of the parking lot and back towards downtown. Vision blurred by her tears, Alicia continued to sob into the steering wheel, unsure of what her next steps should be.  She didn’t want to believe Hailey was lost to her. Refused to believe it. It was all  _ him _ .  _ His _ fault.  _ He’d _ come between them.  _ He’d _ taken her.  _ He’d  _ t rapped her. And Hailey’s skewed view of the world blinded her to this .  How could Alicia get through to her if she couldn’t even see just how manipulated and controlled she was by him?

****************************************

Though he knew the confrontation had taken a lot out of Hailey, he had hoped that there was a chance to shift the mood once she got out of the shower. Murdoc didn’t blame her for being tense and agitated over her run in with that blasted Amazon and had to commend her self control over her handling of the situation. If it had been him, he would have probably knocked the fucker out and kept pounding until his fists were bloody. He knew something had been wrong when she’d retrieved him from the gallery. Still red faced and tensed up at the steering wheel, saying nothing as they pulled into traffic and headed back towards the townhouse. Alec had mostly filled him in, saying they ran into a lady with white hair and pretty face who kept trying to talk to them and then her and Mumma started yelling at each other. Murdoc had already assumed it was Alicia as soon as Alec said white hair. Hailey still hadn’t said a word, but had relaxed a bit more by the time they had reached the house and unloaded the few bags of groceries.  It was only after Alec had gone out to play on the back porch that Hailey finally filled him in on the finer details. 

He’d been a bit shocked that the Amazon had taken such leaps in her assumptions over the years. First it was simply seeing him as a threat to their friendship but it had warped into believing he’d used and manipulated Hailey, eventually trapping her? He didn’t know whether he should be amused or offended by the suggestion.  It also suggested that Hailey was weak and stupid, which she most definitely was not.  The other thing that alarmed him wa s the fact that the woman had managed to allegedly just run in to Hailey at their little market. It was their primary shopping location when they were in the city on holiday and in the two years since it opened, they had never once run into the woman.  It made him wonder just how close the woman had gotten in her search for Hailey. Both of them were aware of the search, stumbling across the online missing person profile a few years back and some occasional posts over the years. But they’d both been confident that the woman’s limited means to dig far enough would enable them to simply live their life without interruption. Hailey hadn’t exactly been living off the grid. Christ, a thorough enough search would have pulled up  several French newspapers and entertainment rags that had announced Alec’s birth, followed by the marriage announcement six months later. The announcements had even listed Hailey’s full name!  How could the Amazon not find her when there’d been enough information over the years to show Hailey was simply living her life as she saw fit? 

It wasn’t just a desire to find Hailey, though. Alicia wanted to find her and drag her back to the old life she’d abandoned. She’d said it herself while in the car park of the market. Telling Hailey that this city was her home and she belonged in Seattle, not with him. Assuming they couldn’t have a normal existence, saying the life he’d given her was a fucked up farce.  Two homes and whatever she fucking desired was some kind of fucking farce, eh? His line of work didn’t bring in the kind of money that Gorillaz did, but it provided them with a  more-than- comfortable existence. Toss in Hailey’s keen sense of number running and they  were doing pretty stellar, if he said so himself . She knew where to put the money and what to invest in. The interest off one investment alone essentially paid the mortgage for this fucking holiday house. Oh, but it was all a farce.  He just used her and abused her because he saw a weak thing he could manipulate. Christ, that bird was a s tupid fucking bitch. Presumptuous and arrogant. 

From the bathroom, he could hear the shower shutting down and the soft clink of the shower curtain being pushed aside. Lounging on the bed starkers, he simply waited for her to emerge  as he massaged himself carefully, soon erect . Shame they would have to keep it quiet. The walls in this place were  obscenely thin. The first and last time they  ha d gotten a bit overzealous, the re’d had a few embarrassing run ins with their neighbors the following day, one quietly requesting they keep things down because their kids had heard their antics through the walls. Not to mention, Alec was just down the hall, even if the boy did sleep like the dead. Kid could probably sleep through a nuclear holocaust.  He shoved those thoughts quickly aside as Hailey stepped into the bedroom, her hair wrapped up tightly in a small terry towel, her naked body hidden by a fluffy purple bathrobe. He let out a rumble of amusement, catching just brief glimpses of her breasts and even the carefully trimmed little fur patch between her legs as she moved around the room and pulled the towel from her head.  He knew she’d seen him laying there, slowly stroking himself. 

Flashing a smile at him, she let the bathrobe drop and crawled across the bed towards him. Well and good she was in the mood. Whatever agitation or tension she had been feeling over that uncomfortable run in with the Amazon was pushed wayside quickly. She pressed her heated body against his, mouth on his briefly before she started to work her way down the length of his body. He released his grip on his cock when her own warm hand circled around it, stroking gently as she let her lips and tongue travel down his chest and his stomach, getting closer and closer to where he wanted that hot little mouth.  When her mouth wrapped around him, he exhaled the breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding, almost sighing as he let his head drop back into the pillows. She never tired of sucking his cock and for that he was immensely grateful.  He could remember thinking that their sex life would go down the gutter once Alec was in the picture, but if anything it just made her more creative in ways to get to him when they had spare moments to themselves. Evenings were proving to be the best more and more. Able to indulge more thoroughly and – when back home – really let themselves loose. They both still bore marks from their last little fuck fest back at home before heading to the states, the marks mostly centered on their backs and in Hailey’s case, her breasts. With Alec getting older, they realized that maybe it was time to keep things a bit more concealed and marks were only left in areas that could be hidden by their clothing.

Fucking hell, she was working him harder now and his trailing thoughts slammed shut as he focused on the feel of her mouth around his cock, feeling the peculiar little tricks of her tongue that would soon have him coming his brains out. “ Oh fuck, yes, keep goin’,” he groaned, hips moving just enough to meet the downward motion of her mouth.  Oooh, there was that tongue move again, sending ripples of goosebumps across his body as she plunged down and then slowly pulled back up. Down then up, bobbing her head on his cock more furiously now. He reached a shaking hand to her wet hair and tangled his fingers within as he forced her head down harder and harder, every part of his body seeming to be nothing more than an extension of the delicious good feelings her mouth was bringing to him.  Almost there. One thrust, two thrust, his other hand flying to her head as he forced her face down onto his nob. Groaning loudly as the orgasm whipped through his body, her mouth still firmly wrapped around him as he came down. Fucking A, she was a fucking champ at this. Every blowjob almost always ended with him ramming his cock down her throat as he came and she always took it without hesitation or complaint. Shame she never got into adult films. Producers would have paid handsomely for skills like this.

He sank back into the blankets and pillows, his body weak and tingling, only able to move his eyes as he watched her sink down beside him with a devious little smile on her face. Give him a good twenty minutes and he’d wipe that smile off her face. Return the favor, maybe play a bit with her arse  as he used his tongue on her. That never failed to get her wild .  There were plenty of options available once he regained his wits and the feeling back in his limbs.  His eyes drifted up to the wrought iron headboard of the bed, spying the velcro restraints still dangling from the bars. Oh yes, he was definitely getting some ideas. Restrain her to the bed and really go to town on her. He’d have her sputtering and begging in no time. 

Finally able to move, he slowly rolled so he was facing her, his hands already on her body and pulling her closer. Just thinking about being able to bury himself into her had him tingling and warm again. Might still take a moment to get the hydraulics working, but if he worked her up enough, he’d be hard and aching for it by the time he had her where he wanted her.  He rolled more so he was on top of her, already moving her hands above her head and securing the velcro around her wrists. They’d tried real cuffs once before but the metal had cut into their wrists and proved to be more uncomfortable than fun. The velcro ones were soft and strong enough to hold even if they were thrashing about. He reached a hand down between her thighs, purring when he felt heat and wetness. Mouth on hers, he kept his hand down between her thighs, fingers working her slowly. She was heating up nicely, mouth hard against his, groaning as he slid another finger into her. Breaking away from her mouth, he moved downward and buried his face into her. He was hard and aching now, each panting moan that escaped from her bringing a dull throb to his cock. Slicking his fingers, he reached beneath her and worked her arse a bit as he continued to use his tongue on her sex. The panting moans grew louder as he slipped another finger into her,  working her harder. 

The muscles in her arms were tensed as she strained against the velcro cuffs, her face twisted in what he knew were good feelings. Unable to hold back any longer, he sat upright onto his knees and scooted closer to her, hauling her body towards him as he buried himself into her. Holding her hips and thighs, he used his grip on her body as leverage to pull her onto him, practically suspending her off the bed. Nothing hotter than a good, hard fuck and seeing her thrash against the restraints as he slammed into her was enough to diminish whatever self control he had,  coming hard but unable to stop thrusting because everything just felt too fucking good. Might even be able to get a two for one – rare moments where he’d get hard again moments after blowing his load and able to keep going. Last time that happened, Hailey was walking bow-legged for a good week –  much to the delight of his ego . Sadly, this didn’t appear to be the case, the good feelings on his cock shift ing quickly to that weird and uncomfortable over-sensitivity that usually followed the orgasm. Chuckling at Hailey’s spent and flushed state, he withdrew slowly and loosened the velcro cuffs. “Tension well relieved?” he chuckled, nuzzling her neck. She  could only nod weakly, her eyes still glazed as she came down from whatever high she’d been riding as he pounded her.  Unable to help himself, he laughed harder as he pulled the blankets out from beneath them and wrapped them both up. He turned to face the far wall,  feeling warm, comfortable and awash with  all the familiar pleasant tingles. 

He knew Hailey well enough to know she would put today’s uncomfortable spectacle behind her the moment she woke up the following morning. Though neither of them could figure out just how Alicia had managed to stumble across her at the market, they’d both decided not to worry about it unless something else came up that required them to worry. It was a fluke, nothing more. The market was new enough to attract the occasional newcomer and it was entirely likely that Alicia did pop in there now and again. They only popped over stateside a few weeks a year at the most  and only ever hit up the market to stock up the necessary foodstuffs in the townhouse so they weren’t living on take-away the entire time. Besides, Hailey wouldn’t have cared too much about running into Alicia, it was the fact that the woman couldn’t leave anything alone and just threw assumption after assumption at Hailey while their son looked on. That was what irritated her the most. Frowning, he closed his eyes and let out a soft exhale of breath. Enough about that dumb bird. She put her foot in her mouth once again and Hailey handled it just fine. Used and abused, indeed. Was that woman aware of how devious Hailey could get when she was in a mood? If anyone was used and abused, it was him! 


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen**

Hiding beneath an over-sized hoodie and sipping at her beer, Alicia stewed over everything that had happened the previous day, her mind a riot of anger and unfamiliar emotions that threatened to tip her into full blow despair. For late afternoon on a Friday, Curry’s was mostly empty. Most of the patronage were regulars who worked in the office buildings that surrounded the tiny hole in the wall bar and, as the bartender Toby liked to put it, they were all getting old like him. Alicia didn’t feel old. She was only thirty-six. But she reasoned that most people her age were already settled with families and whatever else. If they came in to the bar at any point, it was to maybe grab a drink or two with co-workers once or twice a week before going home to their spouse and kids. Then there were people like her, Jason and a few small others. Still mostly unattached and coming in damned near every weekend. Newcomers were still mostly a rare occurrence but she had started to catch sight of new faces coming in more often through the years.

Thinking back to that confrontation in the parking lot, she took a breath and struggled against both dismay and anger. Hailey’s dismissal had pricked her. The woman’s anger towards her unwarranted. Why was Hailey angry at her? Hailey was the one who vanished and then acted like she didn’t owe Alicia any sort of explanation! Why couldn’t she grasp that Alicia was only looking out for her? So blind to what was really happening, refusing to see the truth. The idea that Hailey had a good life with that roach after getting trapped to him with a kid didn’t compute in her head. Alicia frowned at the glossy bar counter, ignoring Toby’s occasional concerned glance. Hailey said the boy was four years old. Christ, she must have gotten knocked up with the kid immediately. Was he so determined to mark the territory that he wasted no time in making sure she would be linked to him forever? Just more proof that Hailey was nothing more than a trophy, something to snatch away and own. If things were oh so good, why wasn’t there more information out there? Why were her social media accounts abandoned? Did he even allow her to have social media accounts? Even if he did provide a decent life for them, it still didn’t change the fact that he had Hailey trapped and tied down completely. Dependent upon him for everything.

What about that limp? She’d been limping when they had encountered one another at the market. What was the limp from? The leg seemed crooked, turned inward below the knee. The foot wasn’t turned all the way in, but enough to be noticed and enough to impede Hailey’s walk. When had that happened? Was it something he did? Alicia frowned again, shaking her head silently. Hailey might be blind to being used and reliant upon him, but she doubted the woman would tolerate any sort of physical abuse. Especially with a child in the picture. Given what Hailey had endured as a kid, she would probably be the first one to fight back and run if faced with a partner who could hurt her or her child. So how did she acquire the limp? What happened to her leg? Given her ease in walking on it, it was definitely an old injury, but it still meant that something had happened and it had partially crippled her.

Toby pushed another fresh glass of beer towards her, peering down at what he could see of her face from beneath the hood she had pulled over her head. “No need to be down, Ali. It’s Friday.” She peered up at the bald man, examining his kind hazel eyes, shiny bald scalp and the weird mustache he kept styled and sculpted into various swirls and curls. Meeting her gaze, he cracked a toothy smile. “What’s the matter, hon?”

“Found Hailey,” she mumbled into her beer. “But it wasn’t our Hailey anymore, Toby. She was changed and it was scary.”

Toby merely shrugged and leaned into the bar counter. “People change, Ali. People change all the time. So you found her and her life has changed. She’s married and has a son now. Not uncommon at all.”

Alicia pushed the hood from her head and sat back into the stool, now staring at him with wide and confused eyes. “How do you know this?” She hadn’t told anybody about what she’d found other than Jason. Was it possible Jason had mentioned something to him? She knew he still came in occasionally. “Did Jason tell you?”

Toby shook his head. “She came in a few nights ago with her husband. Was a bit surprised to see her, honestly. But she appears well. Showed me a picture of her son – cute little dude.”

Alicia let a heavy sigh escape from her as she dropped her gaze back down to her beer. “You know who her husband is, right? The man who took her away.”

It was Toby’s turn to frown. “Took her away? I mean, I know who he is and all, but from the looks and sounds of things, she left on her own accord and appears to be doing pretty good. I saw nothing in their demeanor that would indicate anything beyond a couple who care for each other.” He erupted into a small chuckle as he went to prepare a fresh glass for her. “They chatted it up with me and some others, danced a bit and eventually left. Having her here kind of felt like old times. She had her old man in tears with stories of her time spent in this dive.”

“He took her away,” she repeated, refusing to hear what he’d said. “Trapped her to him. She just doesn’t see it. I mean, you remember how she was Toby!” Her words had taken on a desperate edge and she had to take a pause to regain some level of composure. “You remember how broken and angry she was. She was totally blind to him springing on her like a predator. Filled her head with lies and then took her away from all she knew and loved.”

“Are we talking about the same Hailey?” he asked softly, resting his hand on hers. “I saw with my own eyes and there was nothing there to indicate any of what you said. Are you sure you aren’t looking for someone to blame for you two falling out? She chose to walk away, Alicia. Whatever life he’s given her, she is happy with it and you need to accept that.”

“I just don’t understand why she can’t see him for what he is,” she insisted, feeling tears spring to her eyes again. “Everyone knows what he was like. He even bragged about it at times! Controlling, abusive, uses people...Look how he treated his lead singer!”

“People change, Ali,” he said again, closing his hand around hers. “You can’t expect people to be the same forever. Life changes us as we go along. Hailey decided she wanted something different than what she had here and took a chance. He – regardless of whatever shortcomings you’re hung up on – decided he needed a change too. They’re happy and doing well. You should be happy for Hailey, not hung up on some imagined motive. Not sure what you’re seeing because I saw someone who cares for Hailey a great deal.”

“He only cares about himself and what he can possess,” Alicia hissed bitterly. The idea that the man could care about anything other than himself seemed like a fantasy. Everything she’d read about the man painted a not-so-pretty picture of a selfish, arrogant and self centered person who only looked out for himself and if he did anything for anyone else, he benefited from it in some way. It didn’t matter that most of the articles were years and years old. Nobody like that changed. Hailey’s skewed view of the world blinded her to his real motives. What made her actually think he cared? Canned flatteries to keep her within his good graces? The occasional gift to keep her indebted to him? Niccals only did things that benefited Niccals. Any show of kindness from him most likely had an ulterior motive. “Barged into our lives, turned her against me then snatched her up, knocked her up and dangles her out to rub it in my face.”

Toby leaned in close, his expression serious. “Look, hon, I’m not going to continue to argue about this, especially when I saw with my own two eyes that she’s doing well. I know you had a hard time accepting that she washed her hands of you, but the evidence was everywhere. She told you to your face she was planning on moving out, had even put a deposit on a new apartment. Clearly she decided walking away from it all was the better option. People disappear willingly all the damned time.” Sighing, he stood up and went to the end of the bar where another patron patiently waited for a fresh drink.

Draining her glass, she slammed it down onto the bar and clenched her jaw. Nobody would listen to her. Everyone only saw what Niccals wanted them to see. The cute couple. The happy family. They failed to see the darkness underneath that she knew was there. Holding her to him. Owned by him. She had been nothing more than a game for him, something to play around with because he knew it upset Alicia. Taking her away because it was the end game. Why was it so hard for people to grasp what was really happening? If Hailey wasn’t being controlled and trapped, why was there no digital footprint of any kind? No further record of employment? The Hailey she remembered would have never sunk so low as to become reliant on a man for anything and certainly would never have agreed to be some happy little housewife. It was beneath her. Alicia couldn’t imagine she would actually stop working to take care of the kid, but what if she wasn’t given a choice? The proof didn’t lie, right? Alicia had never found any further records indicating Hailey was employed anywhere and short of a few brief sightings maybe a year after she’d disappeared, there had been no other sightings or record. Hailey wouldn’t have obtained her Bachelors and the line of work she did just to throw it all away and raise a family, not unless she was forced or manipulated into doing it.

The chimes of the front entrance pulled her from her wandering thoughts and she perked her head up in time to see a petite woman step into the bar. She was a pretty woman with narrow features and close cropped red hair, dressed in simple jeans and a baggy sweater. The woman looked over in her direction briefly before stepping further in and making a brisk walk towards a booth in the back. Alicia could feel the newcomer’s eyes on her, even from her seat in the back. Looking at her as if she recognized her. Alicia thought she knew the woman from somewhere but could have been anywhere. Curry’s may have been the big local hang out for the corporate world with many regulars, but it didn’t mean they all knew one another. The red-head could easily be just another regular that Alicia had seen periodically through the years but never knew a name.

Returning her attention back to her empty glass, she pushed it away and folded her arms onto the bar, sinking her head into the darkness. All she wanted was her best friend back and everyone was acting like she was the one in the wrong. Why couldn’t they see what she could see plain as day? Hailey didn’t know what was good for her and unless someone stepped in to help her, they’d lose her for good. She groaned aloud without meaning to, raising her head slowly and meeting Toby’s sympathetic eyes. He said nothing further, turning his attention to serve a few new patrons who’d stumbled in. Struggling with the onset of fresh tears, Alicia slowly raised herself up entirely, catching sight of the red-head now rising from the booth and walking towards her. She continued to watch as the woman sat down beside her, not bothering to hide her irritation at the interloper who wanted to invade her space. “Do I know you?” she asked the newcomer with a raised eyebrow.

“Not formally,” the red-headed woman said in a strangely soft and smooth voice. “But we do have a mutual acquaintance. Hailey Wilson, I believe. You’re her best friend, right? Or should I say ex friend?”

“Not ex friend,” she murmured with a shake of her head. “Something is wrong and she can’t get away from him.” Blinking at the bar counter, Alicia took a breath. She’d tossed back a few too many beers and while the buzz was reasonably enjoyable, she hated how it dulled her senses and emotions. “Controls her and she can’t see it.”

The red-headed woman flashed a smile that would have looked sweet if not for the weird cold intensity of her eyes. Icy blue, almost grey. “Whatever happened to her anyway? Used to know her from work. She was put on leave after a fight and she just vanished after that.”

Alicia peered up at the interloper, studying the cold eyes and strangely sweet smile on her face. Something nagged at the back of her mind, something saying she did know this woman from somewhere. One of Hailey’s old co-workers? Her sozzled brain tried to link face after face, remembering a few but unable to recall many. It had been too many years and other than Gina, Alicia hadn’t really ever talked with any of the others. The woman continued to stare at her, waiting for some kind of response apparently. Sitting fully upright finally, Alicia gestured for a fresh beer. “Found out he took her away,” she said with her attention on the woman’s icy blue eyes. “Took her away, changed her, trapped her to him and flaunts her like a prized possession just to rub it in my face.”

“Who took her?” the woman asked in a soft voice. “Was she kidnapped?”

“Dunno,” Alicia slurred with a shrug. “Niccals took her. She couldn’t see what he was, still can’t see what he is. Got her completely tied down...” She felt the woman’s hand on her back, mildly confused at the contact and who this woman was and her connection to Hailey short of being just a co-worker. Was she another secret Hailey kept? A secret friend? “The Hailey I know is gone or maybe never was...she’s changed. He’s changed her. Trapped her to him with a kid.”

“Niccals?” The woman paused a moment and wrinkled her brow as she tried to place the name. “Niccals as in Murdoc Niccals? Wasn’t he the one she was seen with before vanishing?” There was a weird smirk on the woman’s face, as if learning some grand joke. “She’s with _that_ Murdoc Niccals?”

“Are there any others?” Alicia hissed, feeling her hackles go up just thinking about the man again. “Why did he take her? Why does she stay with him? I don’t think she has a choice or doesn’t think she has one. Probably can’t leave because of the kid.”

“Holy shit, she actually procreated with that piece of trash?” A cold laugh erupted from the woman as she threw her arm around Alicia’s shoulders. “Of course she did,” she chuckled, squeezing Alicia closer. “Gutter rats are attracted to other gutter rats.”

The last remark sparked her memory, old memories of Hailey telling her about someone who had used the term towards her all the time. Hailey had been amused by it, but that wasn’t the point. It was who said it. A term Alicia had heard repeated for years. Someone Hailey had no choice but to tolerate. Alicia flinched, tossing the woman’s arm from her. She knew why she recognized this woman now. Chloe-something, the bitch who got fired from the ad agency because of her constant need to antagonize Hailey. “What do you care?” she hissed at the woman. “I remember you now...you hated Hailey. You were awful to her. You’re probably happy she got herself into this mess.”

Chloe cracked a cruel smile, patting Alicia’s back and trying not to laugh. “Don’t get me wrong, I do think it’s kind of funny. Runs off with that ugly fucker and gets herself knocked up. Trash breeding trash, just as I always thought.” Pausing, she took a drink from her glass, still smirking. “Why are you worried about that little skank anyway? You two aren’t friends anymore, at least that’s what’s gone around. She ran off – big fucking whoop.” Alicia tried to shake Chloe away, glaring daggers in the red-head’s direction as she continued to rattle on. “People like you and me, Alicia, we’re an endangered species. Outnumbered by the trash that keeps breeding like rats.”

“Hailey’s not trash,” Alicia snapped, shoving her hand away again. “She’s just confused and doesn’t see what is happening!” Raking a hand through her hair, she groaned loudly and squeezed her eyes shut. She could feel the tears threatening again and she was not about to break down in front of this woman. Mentally counting to ten, she opened her eyes slowly and huffed. “She needs me and refuses to accept that. Who will help her when she breaks down? Who will be there to help her navigate life when something sets her off? He’s as broken as she is...he can’t help her, not like I can.”

Chloe’s smile vanished, her expression suddenly sympathetic. “It’s a shame when someone you love can’t see danger when it’s literally looking them in the face.” Her words sounded soft and kind, but there was something else there that Alicia couldn’t quite place. She had to remind herself that this woman had been a thorn in Hailey’s side since college and their animosity had finally reached a head five years ago. But it was another event added to a list of many that simply proved Hailey was incapable of leading the right kind of life without help. She’d reacted and throat punched this woman after numerous antagonistic remarks. You didn’t do that. You filed complaints and let the upper management handle it. You didn’t go vigilante and take matters into your own hands. Chloe made a noise as she took another drink from her own glass. “Given his track record with screwing people over, it will only be a matter of time before she gets hurt.”

Rising from the bar, Alicia brushed the woman’s arm away and tossed some cash onto the counter. “I need to think. I need to figure out how to get through to Hailey. He’s dangerous. Controlling. She needs to come back. This is home. She needs me.”

Chloe merely smiled up at her. “You’ve had a bit to drink there, Alicia...need a lift back to your place?” Why did that smile look so wrong on her? She sounded kind and even a little sincere, but this woman was a menace, right? Or maybe she was only a menace to Hailey because she saw what Alicia saw? Someone broken who shouldn’t have gotten where she’d gotten. “Seriously, Alicia,” the woman pressed, rising from the stool and grabbing Alicia’s arm to keep her steady, “leave your car and let me give you a lift. You can fill me in more about Hailey and this charade of a family she has now and maybe we can figure something out.”

Alicia nodded slowly, feeling the sting of tears again. She could hear the voice of reason pointing out that this woman was the last person she should be associating with, but she brushed it aside quickly as she allowed Chloe to lead her out of the bar. Pick her brain, maybe. She could very well have more insight into what Hailey was like at work. Not to mention, it was nice finally encountering someone who actually listened to her. Everyone else had been acting as if she were unhinged but Chloe – even with her bias – was listening and offering her own opinions on the matter. She recognized Niccals for the trash he was and agreed that Hailey was in danger if she remained with him. She needed as many allies as she could gather. Maybe if enough people were saying the same thing, Hailey would finally wake up?

************************************************

Hailey chewed her lip as she smoked her cigarette on the narrow little balcony just outside the lounge room of the townhouse. Fall had slammed the Pacific Northwest with a vengeance and it seemed that all Seattle did was fucking rain. She’d held out some hope that maybe the summer weather would hold on through September like it sometimes did, but this wasn’t the case at all. Too late to cancel their trip and reschedule, the weather reports cited nothing but rain through the first and second week of September, which would be the bulk of their visit. Hell, it wasn’t even technically fall yet and it was already like a goddamned monsoon outside! Water was collecting over the drains, unable to handle the sheer amount of water that had hit too hard and too fast. Sighing, she leaned against the rails and continued to smoke her cigarette. It wasn’t just the rain that had her on edge and she was trying like hell not to let it spoil her mood. She hated feeling skittish and anxious. They should be out having fun like they usually did. Murdoc mentioned taking Alec to a local indoor play place or even hitting up the Pacific Science Center, but all she kept thinking about was that confrontation with Alicia.

She didn’t believe for one second that the run-in with the woman was a coincidence. They’d been using that market for a few years now, even if only a few times a year at best, and never once had they ever run into Alicia there. Hailey knew Alicia’s habits enough to know that the market was out of her way and out of her price range. She – and Hailey – had always shopped at the other market where Alicia worked in order to take advantage of Alicia’s employee discount. Twenty percent off was a good deal when you lived in a city where one month’s wages could barely cover a one bedroom apartment. Recognizing the obvious brought a wave of low grade panic because it meant that Alicia had followed her. Both Stu and Noodle had told them about the woman coming into the gallery, but had assured her that the Alicia had been told nothing. They’d all been initially alarmed that Alicia had somehow obtained a photo of them outside the gallery, but after a bit of digging, Murdoc found the discussion forum and the origin of the photo itself. She remembered Murdoc yelling at some kids, but hadn’t realized they’d snapped a photo of them. He’d actually been pretty steamed about what he saw as an invasion to their privacy, but not much could be done about it since they’d been out in public when the snap had been taken.

Origin of the picture aside, it was still a clue for Alicia and it had led her to the gallery. After being shooed away by Noodle, the woman most likely had kept a close eye on the gallery to see if they showed up again. This meant Alicia had followed her. Christ, she’d gone home first before realizing they’d needed to go to the store. What if Alicia knew where they lived during their visits? Hailey had kept her presence low both online and out and about because she knew the woman had been searching for her. She’d even made new social media accounts under an alter-ego to avoid Alicia tracking her down. After how the woman had behaved that day of the concert, she felt it was definitely in her best interest to simply lay low. After finding evidence that Alicia had been looking for her, she only then realized she’d made the right decision. Getting the police report sorted had been easy, but tackling websites that featured her online missing person profile proved more difficult. In the end, Hailey had thrown up her hands and decided whatever. Lay low, but don’t stop living life.

Maybe they should have looked for a holiday place elsewhere? Was it a mistake coming back to Seattle? Had she grown too confident that Alicia would never locate her? These were questions she didn’t have answers for. The only other option remaining was simply accept it and carry on. If Alicia became more of a problem than they anticipated then there were legal avenues they could pursue to ensure she never bothered them again. Hailey wasn’t interested in spending her holidays back in her home city looking over her shoulder every minute.

She stubbed out her cigarette and slipped back into the lounge. Both Murdoc and Alec were planted on the sofa watching a movie rental. As much as Murdoc hated kid aimed family films, he’d come across a few that he could stomach. The darker the story the better. _**All Dogs Go To Heaven**_ not only had a dark plot but dark backstory of the actors involved and it had twigged his interest almost immediately. The only thing that irritated him about it was the frequent singing. He loathed musicals. Hailey wasn’t a big fan of musicals herself, but she had a select few she found tolerable. Alec, on the other hand, loved the older animated films that Hailey herself had enjoyed immensely once she was able to see them. She was an avid Don Bluth fan and had nearly all his films. Her favorite was probably _**The Secret of NIMH**_.

She had assumed Murdoc might take an interest in that flick because it had a dark story and no singing, but he had a huge issue with mice and rats thanks to growing up in a rodent infested slum that had led to him getting bit countless times as a child. She’d been none of the wiser of this, having no issue with mice or rats herself and him never saying anything. It had come out when she had overheard him in the garage screaming and hurling obscenities and had come outside in time to see him dancing around with a small metal rake in his hand trying to hit a little field mouse that had somehow gotten in. For him, mice and rats equated filth. If he hadn’t been so freaked out about it, she might have found it all funny. Probably would have been good for a prank or two, but she had to remind herself that she hated spiders and how would she like it if he pranked her with spiders?

Murdoc looked up at her as she passed by the sofa to go into the kitchen. “Still twigged about Alicia runnin’ in t’ you at the market?” When she nodded in response, he got to his feet and sauntered into the kitchen with her. “Wouldn’t worry ‘bout it, Poppet. Probably lil’ more than a fluke.”

“Doesn’t feel like just a fluke,” she said with a shake of her head. “What are the odds she’d actually be there while I was there? Her cart had maybe two things in there, both of them items I had never once seen her eat in all the years I’d known her.”

“Tastes change,” he said in a matter of fact tone as he rummaged through the fridge to grab a beer. “Maybe she grew a likin’ for them?” Uncapping his bottle, he leaned into the counters to watch as she went poking through a few cupboards in an effort to figure out lunch. “Not sure what else can be said on the matter, really. You told her t’ get lost an’ she did.”

Hailey looked over her shoulder at him. “Only after she chased me down and continued to badger me until I lost my cool and screamed at her.” That had been what had alarmed her the most. Not just the fact that the woman showed up in the market they used but the fact that she wasted no time in going off at Hailey about being entitled to an explanation and then chasing her down in the car park. Making a massive scene with their son right there. Alicia, still off her fucking rocker, thinking she was Captain Save A Ho. Who the hell was she to tell Hailey where she belonged? Still under some christ-awful delusion that she was Hailey’s savior or whatever the fuck she thought herself to be. Was the woman just that willfully blind?

“An’ clearly she got the picture,” he rumbled. “I’m not gonna get worked up ‘bout it unless we have t’, Poppet. If she dun’ wanna accept that you have a different life now, that’s on her.”

A different life. Her life in Seattle now seemed like a lifetime ago so maybe that’s what it was? Her travel plans had been rather unconventional, but she wouldn’t have changed any of it. She had even come to realize that even if the night of the concert had gone differently, she would have most likely prepared to leave with him. She was well aware of how she got out of the city. The stories of a party she couldn’t remember had been just that – stories. He’d only finally told her the truth after they’d all gotten to Plastic Beach. He’d panicked and had simply been focused on tying up the loose ends so they could get out of the city. Upon finding out the truth, he had offered to take her back if that was what she wanted, but she had decided she was on board with seeing where things went. Not like she’d had much to return to anyway. By the time he’d revealed the truth of how she got there, the deposit on the studio was forfeited and she had most likely lost her job with the agency. Not to mention how often does one find themselves getting dragged along for a ride with a world famous musician who was an epic lay?

It was weird thinking about all of that now. She could admit there weren’t really strong feelings between them at first, but was conscious of the fact that things had started progressing in that direction in the weeks and months that followed. Had to be something if they were still putting up with each other nearly five years later. They’d certainly had more than their share of disagreements and spats over the last several years, but nothing had ever reached a breaking point. And, well, there was something to be said about hot and angry make-up sex.

Murdoc’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. “Quit stewin’ over it, Hailey. It’s done an’ it’s behind you. B’sides, Alec an’ I want t’ enjoy the Science Center, not be on edge ‘cause you insist on lookin’ over your shoulder ever’ five minutes. An’ here I thought _I_ was the paranoid one.”

Okay, he had a point. She couldn’t keep stewing on it because it would drive her nuts. She had to quit worrying herself about it and just enjoy the rest of their time in the city. They would soon be going back to London and life would resume. The whole point of this holiday was to relax a bit. Murdoc had been wrangling an interview that had been tentatively scheduled for shortly after their return and he had some meetings with the network suits to hammer out the details of new material he would be working on. Sighing, Hailey tried to shove thoughts of Alicia to the back of her head as she finished making the sandwiches and passed Murdoc his plate. Peeling Alec away from the plasma proved to be more difficult than she had anticipated, but he eventually climbed up into his chair at the little table and the three of them ate their lunch in silence.

Finishing one by one, they began to trickle away from the table. Alec went back to resuming whatever flick he’d been watching, Murdoc sauntered over to the balcony to light up a cigarette and Hailey eventually joined him. Lighting her own cigarette, she leaned into the rails as she looked around the quiet neighborhood. Dryer days offered up pedestrians and kids riding their bikes around but with the pelting rain, nearly everyone was hiding indoors. A few brave souls had ventured out to tackle whatever outdoor chores they’d apparently planned, but they didn’t remain outside long. One thing they’d loved about the neighborhood was the fact that the neighbors left them alone. Oh, they said hi and struck up small talk here and there, but people respected their privacy and for that they both were grateful. The residence was unlisted but sometimes the occasional Gorillaz fan would find the home and try to check it out. They were usually chased off by the neighbors the moment they were noticed. Their immediate neighbors, Ted and Gayle, were probably the only ones they spoke with regularly while in town. Both Murdoc and Ted would spend half the day talking to each other over the fence that divided their properties, which Hailey found both amusing and irritating because Murdoc generally avoided socializing like the plague but once he and Ted got to chatting, it was near impossible to pull him away. Luckily, Ted and Gayle were actually on a holiday of their own. This meant no lengthy talks of soccer, the political climate back in the UK or whatever else Ted and Murdoc got to chatting about.

When Murdoc finally put out his smoke and went back into the townhouse, Hailey stubbed hers out and followed. Alec was already shutting down the plasma and rushing upstairs to change his clothes so they could get moving. Hailey distracted herself with checking windows and doors, catching a glimpse of a little black sedan cruising just outside their neighborhood but thought little else of it as she closed the balcony doors and locked them. It took a few moments of double checking everything and making sure nothing was forgotten as they trickled into the garage and towards the car. Alec chimed in just as she was buckling him into his car seat that he wanted his puppy. Murdoc appeared behind her with the plushie in his hand, tossing it towards Alec as she stood up. “Saw it layin’ on the sofa,” he said with a shrug as he went to get into the driver’s seat. “Glad I grabbed it.”

With Alec now settled enough, Hailey slid into the passenger seat of the rental. Maybe after hitting up the Pacific Science center and the Museum of Pop Culture they could hit up The Armory and grab a bite to eat. There was a children’s museum under the Armory also and Alec may want to explore that. She wanted to hit up the Museum of Pop Culture and see what new exhibits they might have. It used to be called the Experience Music Project but the name had changed over the years. She still referred to it as the EMP, scoffing at people who corrected her. She’d been there for its grand opening years and years ago and had been in love with all the different music memorabilia collected from Nirvana, Pearl Jam and all the other Seattle bands that started the grunge genre. It would always be the EMP to her no matter how much things had changed.

Cruising out of the neighborhood and turning onto the main road, she caught a glimpse of the black sedan again. It had parked a few blocks up the road past the townhomes and Hailey did find herself checking it cautiously. Stupid to think there was something significant about the car. This was a huge residential neighborhood and was getting bigger. It was stupid to get her guard up over a single vehicle when she’d already noticed several of the homes had different vehicles since the last time they’d been there. Hell, there was newer construction just four blocks away by the park. New condos getting put in. That would lead to hundreds of newer cars in the overall neighborhood. Christ, the traffic in this neighborhood would go to complete shit once those condos were completed. She wasn’t looking forward to that. It was already a good three-quarters of the way done and they were already getting buyers. The next time they came back, the whole neighborhood would be changed.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen**

Both Chloe and Alicia stood outside the townhouse, looking it over carefully. Chloe had floor-plans and even the Realtor listing for the vacant unit in her hand in the event they were stopped or questioned by any nosy neighbors. The neighborhood was a solid upper middle class and contained around a dozen townhouse buildings that housed four units each with some larger two unit buildings scattered in between. A few single homes also were sprinkled around. Not a bad neighborhood by any means. Seemed to house a variety of people from young families to empty-nesters. Chloe couldn’t deny the neighborhood’s charm. A little dead end street neighborhood where it was clear most of the neighbors knew one another and looked out for one another. Wasn’t hard to figure that part out when she took note of the few suspicious glances in their direction.

“What did you find exactly?” Alicia asked finally as they both approached the vacant townhouse unit. “I looked everywhere and couldn’t find anything about them in the city.”

“They bought it about two years ago,” Chloe whispered as they circled around the back. “It’s a vacation house, nothing more. Only use it when they’re visiting the city.” Chloe could admit surprise that Alicia hadn’t already figured this out because it was mostly public information. What took a little more digging to find out was that it was only used a few weeks out of the year and they arranged a maid service to tackle vacuuming and dusting during the off months they weren’t in the home.

Stumbling across the opportunity to stick it to the gutter-rat was almost too good to be true. There’d been rumors galore at the time the weaselly little bitch had vanished. Chloe had found out through former co-workers that Hailey had been spared losing her job while she herself had gotten the pink slip and walk of shame through the office. Then word got around that the gutter-rat and her roomie had gone through a massive blow out and suddenly Hailey was gone. Gina had apparently been beside herself because she had really put her neck on the line to save Hailey’s position. But she’d also been worried, as were many others, because Hailey wouldn’t have just bailed after all of that. Chloe hadn’t really given a shit about any of that, mostly just curious about the woman’s where-abouts. The gutter-rat had cost her a good job and it had taken some time before Chloe had been able to find suitable employment. Daddy refused to help her short of making sure the rent and utilities were paid for the expensive apartment her secretary salary couldn’t afford. Unemployment refused her claim and the few appeals filed only came back to the same decision. Who cared if she gave the lower lifeforms shit? She was better than them. Maybe if employers didn’t act like charity cases in hiring the lower class and making them actually think they were her equal, she wouldn’t have to worry about making sure they stayed in their place. Why weren’t their types confined to working low wage jobs where they belonged? They made enough movies about the concept that it should have become a reality at some point!

She’d seen Hailey for the gutter-rat she was the moment they’d laid eyes on each other their sophomore year of college. Hailey and several others had arrived at Chloe’s sorority house as pledges. Upon realizing what Hailey was, Chloe had saved some of the more degrading and filthy initiations for the little gutter-rat. It made the hazing even more enjoyable when it was discovered that she was an orphaned state ward who had gotten into the college on a few charity grants. People like her always rode the charity wave, never mind the fact that so many had parents who’d bankrupted themselves to get their kids into the college. And this little shit actually thought she belonged in a sorority? Well, Chloe was going to be sure she ran from the house screaming by the time she was finished. It irked Chloe like no other to wake every morning and see that strangely cold yet smug face greet her when the gutter-rat should have been booted out the night she’d arrived. None of the initiations had phased her. Not a one. By the time everything had been finished, only Hailey and a few others had remained and Chloe had been given no choice but to accept her. But Hailey wasn’t interested. She’d only done it to see what it was all about. To study how everyone was. Thanks but no thanks. She had no interest in clucking around with a bunch of stuck up little rich bitches.

Chloe had been infuriated by the gutter-rat’s dismissal. Nobody dismissed her like that. Who did the little charity case think she was anyway? She wasn’t anyone important and she certainly had no right acting as if she were. It hadn’t taken long for Chloe to find out more about Hailey, finding great joy in realizing that the gutter-rat had spent her entire childhood in state care. More digging a some money exchanging hands revealed reports of significant abuse, implications of involvement in a house fire that killed two children, psychiatric commitments at a very young age and numerous reports of defiance, running away, physical altercations with caregivers and whatever else Chloe was able to get her hands on. Everything found had been a gold mine and she was sure to use it to her advantage. Perhaps some of the things done had gone too far, but Chloe had been determined to ensure the gutter-rat knew her place. She didn’t belong there with all of them. She belonged back in whatever gutter she’d crawled from. Passing out Hailey’s contact info to some of the fraternity houses with promises she would happily pull a train with the frat brothers. Posting flyers with some of the more intimate information included, warning the other students of her. Chloe had been sure she’d done enough to force the gutter-rat to run with her tail between her legs, but the young woman merely scoffed at it. None of it bothered her in the slightest.

She’d grown desperate in her efforts to put the gutter-rat in her place. Chloe and her sorority sisters had cornered Hailey in a bathroom with the intention of holding her down so the head of one of the frat houses could fuck her into submission. Everyone had been nervous about this because it went beyond their normal mean-spirited pranks, but Chloe urged them on. Hold her down. Get her ready. Hailey had not only fought back, she’d unleashed a fury that none of them had been prepared for. The leader of the frat house had been waiting patiently with his fly undone and cock out, waiting for the six women to wrestle Hailey to the ground. Hailey had fought back and actually managed to throw several off of her, practically hissing and snarling at them. Finding the scene a bit too much for his hormones to handle, the young man dived in and struggled to pin her face down into the toilet, tearing at her jeans. He’d only managed to shove himself into her and pump twice before she bucked him off and leaped at him like a deranged demon, slashing at him with her nails and snapping teeth at him like a rabid dog. Chloe had bolted when the entire plan fell to shit but hadn’t gotten far because after Hailey had fought off the frat brother, she was on her feet and pelting pavement towards her, tackling her and swinging.

The stunt had nearly gotten Chloe expelled, though she couldn’t understand why they were so focused on what she’d orchestrated and not the fact that Hailey had left her black and blue. Hailey certainly had her own share of bruises and cuts from their altercation, but Chloe bore the brunt of it all. The dean of the school mentioned possible accessory to rape charges, which had mystified Chloe further. Rape? The gutter-rat whored herself around the campus and had been used as a sex toy through her life in foster care. She might as well had a sign over her head that said she was easy and free for the taking. Flaunting herself around as if she were one of them. She’d asked for it. She’d deserved to be put in her place. Luckily Daddy had been able to squash that, trying in vain to focus on the fact that the little hell-beast had attacked his daughter. Somehow things had smoothed out but it would lead to numerous altercations between her and the gutter-rat, all of which usually ended with Hailey beating her senseless.

Chloe eventually graduated and began the job hunt, finding work in the agency her father was head of the board on. Imagine her surprise when she’d found out that Hailey worked there as part of their payroll and HR team. Remembering the fact that the gutter-rat skated by on charity, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that this job was just another hand out. Make her believe she was one of them. Chloe had almost quit upon finding out the vulgar little bitch worked there, but realized that this would be a golden opportunity to prove to the cunt just where she belonged. The spars were all verbal, Chloe hoping she could antagonize Hailey enough to get the woman to snap much like she had back during that bathroom situation. But Hailey didn’t let it get to her, often firing back a jabs of her own. When she’d found out that Hailey was attending that costume party with the ugly fucker she’d been dry humping at Curry’s, it had enraged her to no end because she’d tried desperately to get into that party. She’d even managed to get in the good graces of the head security guard in an effort to get him to let her slip into the party, but had found out after she’d gone through the trouble of riding his narrow pencil dick that he didn’t have that kind of clout.

After Hailey had vanished, Chloe had been sure the woman’s body would be found at some point. The musician was another piece of gutter-trash who’d gotten lucky in his success. A complete degenerate just like Hailey. He had a taste for dark and rough things and had hurt numerous bed partners through the years so it wasn’t a huge reach to assume he’d hurt her or even killed her. Chloe had certainly hoped that the musician had killed her because it would serve the bitch right for costing her a job. Her Daddy often told her that people like her and him were an endangered species because people like the gutter rat simply bred indiscriminately. Trash breeding more trash. Hailey and the musician proved her Daddy right when they appeared with their child in tow.

The gutter-rat’s former friend was living in some next level denial, that was for sure. Convinced that Hailey was trapped to the musician and needing her to rescue her. Chloe wasn’t going to stop her from being Captain-Save-A-Ho but it definitely opened up some possibilities for payback. Alicia Hunter was blind to the fact that she’d been the reason for the fall-out. Convinced Hailey needed to know the truth and understand where she belonged. She belonged back in Seattle, away from the musician and his influence. She didn’t deserve what she had because people like her and the musician were not meant to move above their status. Chloe couldn’t disagree with that. The gutter-rat didn’t deserve the life she had. Didn’t deserve the strokes of luck that managed to help her rise above her pre-ordaned station in life. While Hunter assumed the woman was trapped, Chloe only saw the same gutter-rat who essentially got where she was via charity. The musician, Niccals, got where he was through sheer luck and people with shitty musical taste, but Wilson merely latched onto another meal ticket. None of the things she had were earned by her. The main home and holiday home were purchased with the musician’s money. The child was financially supported through his current source of income. Hailey was nothing more than his maid and sex toy, much like how it had been when she was in foster care.

Chloe would have gloated gleefully to this if it hadn’t been for the fact that the gutter-rat had cost her a job. She’d finally succeeded in getting the gutter-rat to snap, to lash out, and instead of canning the bitch, they fired her? So what if she antagonized it and pushed her, the bitch had throat-punched her and she had to go to the hospital to make sure there was no damage! The gutter-rat was the one who should have been fired! Why hadn’t the board taken into account that Gina and Hailey were thick as thieves and looking out for each other? Chloe’s circle had submitted their own statements over what had happened and the board had still sided with Hailey! Nobody denied that Chloe had shot off her mouth, but that didn’t give the gutter rat a right to lay a hand on her! Gets her fired, disappears for years without a word and then comes striding into Curry’s with her piece of shit husband as if she owned the place. Even claiming her old seat at the bar and chatting happily with the bartender while the musician drank his beer and chimed in whenever necessary.

Chloe fumed silently as they walked around the townhouse and looked around. She knew Alicia was skating on thin ice mentally but madness had its advantages. The woman was so obsessed with getting her friend back and finding a way to hurt the musician that Chloe was pretty sure she could convince her of anything and the woman would go along with it. It didn’t take long to get the woman to let her guard down with her, even knowing who she was and her history with the gutter-rat. Pointing out that the gutter-rat was a broken person blind to the danger she’d put herself in by being with the musician had been the icing on the cake. Alicia was sucked in hook, line and sinker. There was a little bit of truth to it, though Chloe hadn’t known it at the time. Using old methods and old connections to dig up what she could on the family, it didn’t take much to find out the man had crossed quite a few groups and even had Interpol on his hide. While they hadn’t obtained enough evidence to pick him up on anything, they’d had him on their radar since around 2005 when they’d heard whispers that he’d been dealing with some of the gangs and pirate groups they’d been tracking and was possibly the reason the Gorillaz guitarist had almost been killed during that video shoot.

Niccals had been a busy man up until working on their last album and tour. After screwing the gangs and pirate groups over, he’d spent the next few years on the run and disappearing off the map for a good two years or more before finally resurfacing with the lead singer and promoting a new album. There’d been rumors he’d kidnapped the lead singer and held him hostage for the better part of two years. Rumors that he’d blackmailed musicians to appear on the new album. When the tour went tits up, he vanished again only this time, Hailey had vanished with him. Chloe had been curious about all of this, but decided that it wasn’t worth looking further into. Not at the moment anyway. The gutter rat was with him and obviously had been with him since the band canceled the remaining tour dates and disappeared. Her larger focus was the fact that Interpol was still keeping him on their radar. He’d done nothing as of late to garner their attention, but clearly the authorities were hoping he’d slip up in some way. By all accounts, Niccals, the gutter-rat and their little crotch dropling were living a quiet life just outside of London. His current career keeping him busy enough and with a steady income. Everything so far seemed legit. Interpol had nothing, so they simply kept an eye on him in the event he fucked up, which nearly everyone had said was inevitable.

Chloe paused around the backside of the townhomes, dully noting the narrow back yards whose fences bordered a rather ragged looking alley. Across the alley were larger single family homes. She could remember a time when putting multi-family housing in a neighborhood killed home values, but with the townhomes selling for a solid six hundred thousand dollars or more, any concern over the state of the neighborhood pretty much vanished. Housing prices continued to soar, even with a twenty unit apartment complex on the end of the street. She continued to examine the back yard of the vacant unit, gesturing for Alicia to follow. “If we’re asked, you say nothing about Hailey or Niccals,” the red-head warned. “As far as the busy bodies are concerned, we’re checking out the vacant home in the listing.”

Alicia merely nodded but said nothing as they unlatched the side gate and went into the yard of the vacant unit. It was an end unit which provided it a much larger back yard than the two units in the middle. Still a small yard all the same, Chloe observed. After looking over the layout and how the gates flanked the alley, they turned their attention to the steps that took them up to the patio, which was a full story up. The garage took up the whole ground floor and then up a level was the main living area. Chloe leaned into the slider and peered through the glass, taking in the narrow but still spacious living area and kitchen. It was a massive open floor plan. Quaint little dual sided fireplace that stood alone and allowed one to watch the fire from the living room or even the kitchen/dining area. Off to their left, they could see the stairs leading up another level and gazing above them, realized another balcony was above. Probably for the master bedroom. Alicia was now looking at the Niccals’ unit and Chloe had to hiss at her a few times to keep her focus on the vacant one. Chloe had to hand it to them because the townhouse was actually pretty nice. Alicia leaned into the glass and peered into the unit. “If their place is anything like this...”

“Just remember who he is,” Chloe said with the ghost of a smile on her face. “It’s all an illusion, Ali. Material trappings to keep her indebted to him and close. She doesn’t belong here. She belongs back home with you.” This was just too fucking delicious. The ultimate blow, the ultimate payback. Cost me my job, I’ll use your friend to fuck you over and cost you everything that matters. Dig in deep enough, might even be able to really stick it to the bitch and cost her that sham of a marriage. It drove her nuts to have to keep it under wraps because lord help her, she wanted to gloat from the rooftops that she’d finally put that gutter-rat in her fucking place, but she couldn’t do that. Not just yet. If Alicia was aware of the ulterior motives, she’d cut her off and out in a heart beat. Alicia wanted her best friend back, unwilling to grasp that she’d destroyed that friendship years ago, and Chloe would help her get that friend back. They just needed to get a better grasp on the kind of life the gutter-rat had with the musician.

“We should go now,” Alicia whispered softly as she turned back towards the stairs. “I need a chance to think. Why are we casing the house again, Chloe?”

“The end goal is to get your Hailey back, right?” Chloe paused at the top of the stairs, watching as Alicia jogged down the steps two at a time. “You need to find out what her life is like now. Find the weakness in the armor. She’s convinced she’s loved and in a good place but we have to remember that everything we see is little more than a carefully constructed illusion he’s created to keep her under his thumb.”

“They have a kid together, though,” she said in a matter of fact tone. “Even if he’s keeping her on a short leash, she probably won’t walk away if they have a kid.”

Chloe let this information stew a moment. She’d considered this and wondered just how strong of a bond the gutter-rat had with the child. Was the boy little more than a status symbol for them both or were there deeper feelings involved? She remembered a woman who had never wanted children, let alone marriage, so the idea that she’d have a child willingly with someone seemed a bit of a stretch. Was the bond really that strong? Did she only give him the child out of obligation? What led to him actually sticking around and taking care of the child and her when he had practically boasted about weaseling out of child support arrears for several children who were now adults? Niccals was like the world’s most famous deadbeat dad. Yet he had no qualms about remaining to help care for this newest child. She reasoned that it may have had to do with the fact the man was older and maybe dealing with some mid life regrets. Was it possible the boy’s conception was an accident and the man only decided to remain to avoid being taken to the cleaners for child support? Easier to just keep the chick around to care for the kid and cater to some base needs than losing half his income to a one night stand mistake.

She frowned as they descended the stairs. It was more than that. She’d seen it with her own eyes when the couple had showed up at Curry’s. The musician clearly cared for Hailey and the child. He’d spoken highly of them both. Of course, Alicia had refused to believe such a thing, still convinced that Niccals did all of this to spite her. It was all a show, as far as Alicia was concerned. A farce. He only did it because he knew it got under her skin. He was incapable of loving anything but himself. Chloe could admit to hating Hailey with a passion, but even she wasn’t blind to the fact that the gutter-rat and the musician appeared to care for one another. It amazed Chloe that Alicia’s denial was so deep that she couldn’t even see with her own eyes that the relationship Hailey had with the musician was nowhere near as nefarious as she assumed. Her jealousy was something to behold, really. Refusing to accept that the friendship was no more. Convinced the musician only interfered with their lives to get to her. Convinced he took Hailey away as a way to stick it to her. Refusing to accept Hailey’s own words to her that the friendship was gone and it was all on her.

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, Chloe led Alicia across the yard and through the gate that opened up to the alley. Her car was parked at the end of the block and with neither of them knowing just when the Niccals would return, decided it was best to depart. She’d hoped they could have explored the interior of the vacant home but they had floor plans and that was well enough. Chloe still wasn’t sure exactly what they should do, but they had to think of something fast. The Niccals were only in the city a short time and neither one of them knew when they planned on leaving. She wanted to get right down to business and start plotting their next steps. Maybe once they went over the information she’d uncovered it would give them some ideas. Just had to tread carefully to make sure Alicia was still being led along. Tread carefully to be sure she had all her ducks in a row before finally sticking it to the gutter-rat once and for all.

****************************************************

Alicia hadn’t been expecting any visitors and nearly jumped out of her skin when the doorbell started ringing like crazy. When she heard Chloe’s voice on the other side announcing her arrival, she was on her feet in moments and letting the woman in. They’d only just gone out the previous day to scope out the townhouses and Chloe had mentioned doing some more digging after they’d parted ways. She must have found something big if she was banging down Alicia’s door barely twenty-four hours later. Alicia didn’t question how Chloe was able to find the information she’d found, telling her that she’d found records of the marriage and boy’s birth in some local French papers and even a snippet about both in a several year old People magazine. Alicia could only assume she hadn’t been broadening her searches enough, too hyper-focused on Hailey specifically and not the musician himself. She had to wonder what kind of information Chloe had found, especially if it was bringing Chloe to the apartment practically right away.

Chloe came through the door quickly, not bothering to hide the strange smile on her face as she thrust a stack of papers towards Alicia. “You have some reading to do. Get on it now. Call me when you’re done.” And just like that, she was gone. Alicia wouldn’t have minded if she stuck around a bit. She wanted to pick the woman’s brain some more. Though a part of her kept pointing out that this woman was Hailey’s sworn enemy and had it out for Hailey, another part kept pointing out that she wouldn’t be helping her try to get Hailey back if she truly hated the woman.

Still standing near the front door with the stack of paperwork in her hands, she finally locked the deadbolt and wandered over to the sofa. The stack was impressive, a good several inches thick. Probably hundreds upon hundreds of pages. At the top of the stack were grainy black and white photos of Niccals on some vague street, accepting something from another person the camera hadn’t been able to catch. Sinking down into the sofa, she shuffled through them, finding reports amongst the photos. Alicia scanned over the reports carefully, realizing quickly they were from Interpol. Holy christ, the man had Interpol on his ass? Most of the information in the reports dated back nearly a decade ago. Reports of his involvement with a pirate group who called themselves The Black Clouds. There were other groups he was working with too, it appeared. Even mention of possible mafia connections? That seemed like a bit of a stretch, especially knowing how careless the man could get. But it was all there. Photos showed him interacting with known criminals Interpol had been tracking for years. Photos of him accepting money in exchange for things. Reports indicated the musician had been involved in running drugs and weapons on the side. This wasn’t even including his run ins with local law enforcement agencies for petty shit while touring around the globe.

As she went through the stack of paperwork, other information had come to light. A database in some lab had been hacked, information related to possible cybernetic warfare stolen. Niccals paying someone for the information as well as information on using human DNA. Blueprints for cybernetic organisms. As Alicia scanned through the documents, something stuck out to her, something she’d overheard years ago. During the Plastic Beach tour, Niccals had always stated that Noodle was playing a role for their story, pretending to be a cyborg. The gimmick was that he supposedly built a cyborg version of their guitarist using blueprints and Noodle’s DNA obtained from the El Manana crash, another thing Interpol had been investigating when it was revealed that The Black Clouds had shot the floating island prop down. The reports she was now reading indicated that he had, in fact, built a cyborg copy of their guitarist. Was the man that intelligent? She didn’t think the man stupid, but would he have the intelligence to actually succeed at such a task? The problem was that nobody knew where the hell he was at this point.

He was suspected of being the one to torch the old Kong Studios, but local authorities pegged the crime on some local kids. Niccals collected the insurance money and had disappeared. Soon after, the lab had been hacked. Then the lead singer disappeared from Beirut. Last seen in his flat, a few neighbors complaining of feeling woozy and sleepy. Investigators identified some sort of gas that had been released into his flat and managed to get through the vents to the neighboring units. Stuart Tusspot wouldn’t be seen again until Niccals started up the short lived radio shows almost a year later. But it was all being passed off as just a gimmick, a joke as a way to sell the albums as they’d always done. Niccals practically bragging about fucking over the pirates, kidnapping his singer and a plethora of other crimes that were all heavily documented in these reports she held in her very hands. But as long as the record label and Niccals insisted it was all just a joke to sell more records, there was little else to go on. They just didn’t have enough proof that he was directly involved with any of it.

Plastic Beach wasn’t supposed to exist, but it did, and that was where Niccals had been hiding for the past few years. The Black Clouds were really out for his head after he fucked them over. Interpol had gobs of information on him regarding his dealings with the different groups on Interpol radar, his hand in the kidnapping of his lead singer – whom they interviewed recently and the man had refused to talk – and his possible involvement with the Gorillaz guitarist almost being killed. She refused to talk as well. It was all just a bit too crazy to be real. How could this man do so much damage to everyone and everything that crossed his path and yet manage to walk away?

Alicia set aside half the paperwork, her eyes skimming over reports dated a little over five months after Hailey had disappeared. Faxed copies of what appeared to be medical intake and discharge paperwork of some hospital, the Spanish translated into English. Niccals had been identified at a local village hospital emergency room with Stuart, Noodle and an unidentified woman. Niccals was treated for a gunshot wound to his shoulder, the singer treated for cuts and abrasions, the unidentified woman very pregnant and being treated for a stab wound and shattered right leg. Gunshot wound and point blank range, the report indicated. Alicia skimmed over the medical jargon. They had arrived at the hospital in filthy clothing and all of them covered in blood. The woman, who Alicia guessed had to have been Hailey, was taken in for emergency surgery to save the leg and to treat the stab wound. Approximately five and a half months pregnant, the stab wound had missed puncturing anything vital for her or the fetus. Surgery on the leg deemed successful however staff unsure of patient’s progress after discharge. Group vanished once the woman had been released. It was only then that the staff realized that Niccals was still wanted for a prison escape several years prior.

Interpol had still been collecting what they could, even though it was clear the group was keeping themselves off the radar for the time being. A few grainy black and white photos revealed all of them at a local cafe in Paris. There was Hailey right in the photo, holding what Alicia could only assume was their son. Just a little baby still. Sifting through more revealed photocopies of the French birth certificate for the boy as well as a French marriage license issued six months later. Documented prenup on file. Alicia frowned as she read over the contract, something Niccals probably fashioned up to ensure he wouldn’t be taken to the cleaners. Hailey only entitled to child support, a small living stipend and hammering out just how custody would be sorted in the event they broke things off. Hailey’s signature right there on the last page. She’d signed the thing? The man was worth millions and he’d managed to manipulate Hailey into signing a contract that would only entitle her to a fraction of what she should have been entitled to.

Alicia shoved the prenup agreement aside and continued to browse through the documents. Plastic Beach had been discovered along with the bodies of several pirates, one of which being wanted by Interpol for a good twenty years. Photos taken of the island and from within the house did reveal that there had been a female present. The black hair clip. Toiletries under a sink. Even a few pictures located of both Hailey and Murdoc on a balcony that was no longer there in the photos taken of the damaged island. Reports indicated Interpol believed the pirates had located the island and went in for the attack, yet were some how defeated. Alicia dug back into the reports from the Mexican hospital, checking the dates again. Late April was when they arrived. A photo from what remained of the mansion featured a kitchen that had a calendar on the wall. Hard to read, but Alicia was pretty sure it said April. They survived the pirate attack and fled the island, suddenly emerging in Mexico with Noodle now with them. More reports of a cruiseliner that had been attacked by the pirates with one of the cruise guests, a Kiyoko Tanaka, disappearing in the wake of the assault. Interpol discovered the guest was booked under a fake name. And while pinpointing an exact date of when the island had been attacked was near impossible, the investigators were quite sure the cruiseliner had been attacked first with the attack on Point Nemo following several days later.

Scrubbing her hands across her face, Alicia continued through the paperwork. Interpol returned its focus to Niccals and Hailey. They initially were unable to identify Hailey but after Alec had been born, finally got a name and had linked her to the missing person reports filed out of Seattle. The marriage to Niccals was legal, but the investigators were having trouble filling in gaps. No paper trail could be found of Hailey’s departure from the country. No application for a passport, not a thing. But it appeared she had documents and traveled around freely with Niccals. Interpol definitely wanted to keep Niccals on their radar, but by all accounts the man had slowed down a bit and appeared to be living a completely legitimate life with his partner and son. Nothing weird or shady about his current career. House was purchased with earnings he made from Gorillaz. They literally had just enough to link him to a lot of shady shit over the years, but nothing solid enough to pick him up on.

Alicia’s cell phone chimed, recognizing the call coming in from Chloe. Tapping the screen, she put the call on speaker phone. “I thought you wanted me to call you?”

“I’m impatient,” Chloe’s voice crackled from the other end. “I take it you got through most of it by now, yes? Niccals has been on Interpol radar since around 2005.”

“I’ve gone through enough to know that they’re well aware of his marriage and kid,” Alicia said as she went through some other paperwork. “Hailey seems to elude them, though.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m calling about,” Chloe said in a low voice. “If you check the end reports, it was interviews with a flight staff for a private plane used by the band during the 2010 tour. There was some drama on the plane, apparently.”

Alicia shuffled towards the end of the paperwork, finally coming across reports from a private plane company and their flight staff. Pilot reported additional occupant, a woman. One of the musicians had been upset about Niccals dragging a drunk woman onto the flight with them. Nobody had seen where she’d come from, just that she’d accompanied Niccals and had been significantly intoxicated. No description of the woman, just that she’d been incoherent, her speech had been slurred and had been very confused when she finally came around a few hours later. This had all taken place maybe two days after the Seattle concert as the group was leaving Seattle. Frowning, Alicia turned her attention back to the phone. “Says here Niccals brought a drunk woman onto the flight with him.”

“Wanna take a guess who that drunk woman was, Ali?” Chloe chuckled from her end.

“All that proves is what we already know though...” She skimmed through some more paperwork, brow furrowed. “We know she left with him. Interpol found proof that she’d been at Point Nemo with him and was most likely the unidentified woman who’d been brought into the hospital months later.”

“The flight crew report says intoxicated,” Chloe said with a touch of annoyance. “I don’t think she was drunk, Alicia. They reported that she was really confused when she came around. I’m willing to bet money she was drugged.”

Alicia scanned over the report from the flight staff. “You think so?”

“The other thing, the thing that sticks out the most is the fact that there is not a whisper about her anywhere after this and then pops up months and months later in Europe. Alicia, there is no record of any application for travel. The passport she uses is one issued to UK citizens, not Americans.”

Alicia looked over the photocopy of both Hailey’s passport and even Murdoc’s. Same color, same issuer and while his may have had a few more stamps from all the traveling he’d done with the band, hers had a fair share of stamps as well now. There was even a photocopy of their son’s, issued more recently since his last one had been issued when he was an infant or toddler. “She married a British citizen, Chloe. She would be a citizen by now I’m sure.”

“If it had changed more recently, I’d buy that,” Chloe said firmly. “That passport was issued months before she married him. She was still pregnant with their son when it was issued. Interpol has absolutely no record of her leaving the country. No application for a visa and no record of her ever possessing a passport until around spring of 2011.” From Chloe’s end of the call, she could be heard doing something that made weird crackling sounds through the speaker before her voice came back on the line, now talking around a mouthful of food. “Come on, Alicia, I know you’re smarter than this. Flight crew report an intoxicated woman on their flight who disappears after that. Hailey reappears in fucking Paris using a burgundy passport when she’s American.”

Alicia let the paperwork slide from her fingers, frowning at her cell phone. “She’s using forgeries.”

“_Ding! Ding! Ding!_ We have a winner!” It almost sounded like Chloe was laughing but Alicia wasn’t sure. After a few crackled huffs came through the speaker, Chloe was back on the line. “Given the kind of shit Niccals was into, he probably got her those so they could travel without issue. Probably paid a pretty penny for them too because they’re damned near passable.”

Alicia stared at the photocopies of the three different passports. Was there something obvious she should be looking for to indicate Hailey’s was a fraud? “With how tight and restrictive traveling has been, how have they not been caught yet?”

“Married couple with a child, customs won’t bat an eye,” Chloe said in a matter of fact tone. “Both Niccals and the boy’s are legit so even less likely they’d take a closer look at Hailey’s.”

Setting the paperwork down, Alicia sighed loudly and dragged her hands across her face. What was she supposed to do with this information? If she were to approach them with what Chloe had found, they’d bounce out of the country in seconds flat. Chloe had to have a reason for finding this. Aside from finding out that Niccals was still on Interpol radar and the possibility that Hailey was using well made forgeries as her travel documents, Alicia couldn’t see where this information would take her. “If we confront them with this, they’re gonna run again, Chloe.”

“I’ll be over later tonight,” Chloe said from her end of the line. “We will figure this out, Ali. Don’t you dare try to approach them yet, okay? Wait until I get there so we can go over everything. We’ll find a way to get Hailey back and make sure he never darkens your doorway ever again.”


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Chapter Seventeen**

After returning from the Pacific Science Center and Museum of Pop Culture, Murdoc had wasted no time claiming the sofa as his. He’d dropped down into it and stretched himself across the length of it, falling a few inches short of being able to kick his feet up on the far armrest. It had been a busy day for them, but quite entertaining. Alec had no memory of their last visit to the city, so he was seeing everything with new eyes and had enjoyed every moment of their outing. From the horror memorabilia beneath the MPOP to the animatronic dinosaurs at the Pacific Science Center, Alec had squealed with delight. He’d chattered animatedly at them over what little info he had learned about dinosaurs prior to the holiday, filling them in on a few interesting facts about Tyrannosaurus Rex as they’d casually walked around the exhibits. As most kids his age, he loved dinosaurs and talked about them incessantly every waking moment he had. Murdoc didn’t mind this too much seeing that sometimes the boy offered up some interesting tidbits that neither he nor Hailey knew. As far as prehistoric beasts were concerned, what info he and Hailey knew were decades out of date. So if the boy was excited to correct Murdoc’s talk of mighty lizards who dragged their tails, who were they to argue?

Alec had spent much of the time on Murdoc’s shoulders, squealing with delight as Murdoc ducked down so they could clear the doorways. The butterfly atrium had bored both him and the boy, though Hailey seemed completely enchanted by the colorful insects as they fluttered around her and landed on her when she sat down on a bench. Shame he didn’t think to grab for his phone so he could snap a pic. Both he and Alec had been grumbling about wanting food soon, so her abrupt pause to become one with the insects had hampered their journey towards the Armory for some grub. Couldn’t really deny that seeing her like that had been endearing in ways he couldn’t really describe. She was usually pretty cold and no nonsense – had to be in order to deal with his childish bullshit as well as their son’s – but in those moments within the atrium, she was like a little kid herself. It had been enough for him to take pause and allow Hailey her moment while Alec continued to whine loudly from atop his shoulders about wanting something to eat.

They did eventually make their way to The Armory for lunch. He’d been craving a nice greasy cheeseburger himself so they narrowed down their food search to any place that offered up some great fat burgers on toasted buns. By that point, Murdoc had to let Alec down because his shoulders were on fire and he needed a break. Hailey had already gone ahead of them to get in the line, ordering up a few burger and chip baskets along with a kids basket and two glasses of whatever house brew they had. Oh, mind reader she was! Smiling at him as she passed him an ice cold frosty glass full of some primo microbrew, holding another glass for herself. Alec got a small orange fizzy drink with his meal and the three of them ventured off to find a table near by so they could listen for their number to be called. It had been a pleasant few moments of them nursing their drinks while they waited, both he and Hailey scanning the crowd. They both had still loved people watching and Hailey had wasted no time offering up some pretty comedic commentary on a group buzzing around on motorized scooters towards the nearest grease pit.

The Armory had been fucking packed. He’d asked once what exactly The Armory had been before it had been turned into a glorified food court, but Hailey could no longer remember. It had been the place to get food for as long as she could remember. Their number had been eventually called and he went to retrieve their baskets. They hadn’t been eating long, few minutes at the most, when a pair of young women had approached the table asking if he was Murdoc Niccals. Whether it was finally getting food into his cranky arse or just his more pleasant mood, he didn’t feel like being his usual arsehole self and confirmed that he was indeed the one and only Murdoc Niccals. The women, who couldn’t have been much older than Noodle, both giggled at each other before asking for a photo and autograph. They talked about how great the last Gorillaz album had been and how awesome it was to meet him face to face. He cast a side glance over at Hailey, who looked more amused than anything as the two young women continued to gush over him. He had posed for a single snap and signed a couple of napkins since that was all they’d seemed to have on hand. Fan-girls satisfied, they were sent on their way, but not before one of them had grabbed a handful of his arse before departing, Murdoc almost yelping in surprise and annoyance. Hailey had merely continued to snicker into her burger, finding his irritation amusing even as he’d started to rattle off all that was wrong with the world nowadays and how kids had no damned manners. “Would they grab their dad’s arse like that?” he’d demanded as he took a massive bite of his burger. “I think not!”

With the day’s events now behind them and his arse no longer feeling the ache of the phantom grab, he was ready to kick back and relax the rest of the afternoon. Hailey was in the kitchen doing her magic and Alec was sitting on the shag throw rug by the telly, playing with his new dinosaur toys they’d purchased for him from the gift shop at the Pacific Science Center. He’d already snagged a beer from the fridge and wanted to see what could be found on the telly to watch. Maybe catch a flick on one of the premium channels. Might even find a half arsed decent drama show or sci-fi show. As long as it wasn’t that bloody zombie drama that Hailey and Dents adored. Christ, if he had to listen to those two blather on about it another night, he’d go and hang himself. He could only listen to Hailey gush over the main actor so many times before it gave him a fucking complex. Fine, fancy that bloke so much, go and shag him then! Satan’s balls, women and their celebrity crushes!

Warm and comfortable, he stared at the telly as he slowly clicked through the different channels. Alec was oblivious, still focused on his new toys and Hailey too preoccupied with whatever she was working on in the kitchen. Didn’t take long for good smells to reach his nostrils as he lost himself in an edited for television version of Die Hard. American action films weren’t really his thing, but there wasn’t much else available so Die Hard it was. At least it was a version where they dubbed over the swear words with less offensive words. That always made the flicks a bit more amusing because the dubbing was never a hundred percent spot on and always sounded a bit off.

He must have started to doze a bit because suddenly the movie was over and Hailey was kneeling in front of him with a hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently. Rising from the sofa, he saw Alec already at the table in his booster seat and the meal already set out. Everything smelled great and he found himself on his feet much quicker than he thought possible. He dropped into his chair grabbed an extra dinner roll before diving into the plate without a word. Stuffed salmon steaks with steamed asparagus and some yellow rice. One thing he never tired of was the fact that Hailey knew how to fucking cook. He’d had plenty of misconceptions about modern women, one of which being they didn’t know how to cook or refused to learn. Hailey hated cooking, but she knew her way around a kitchen and could whip up some culinary delights if the mood suited her. She’d even recreated that fruit tart they’d both heartily enjoyed at the costume party several years ago. What had truly surprised him was that it had been strictly based on what she remembered seeing on it and how it tasted. The filling and crust wasn’t a hundred percent the same, but the tart had still been edible and that had really been what he’d cared about.

Meal finished, Hailey ushered Alec upstairs for a bath before getting the boy ready for bed. A quick glance at the clock in the kitchen told Murdoc it was later than he’d realized. After seven. He was feeling pretty full and content but decided to investigate the pan on the hob to see if there were any leftovers he could get his hands on. As luck would have it, there was some rice left and a small steak on the pan, which he grabbed up immediately and hunkered back down at the table. Washing down bites with a fresh beer, he could hear the familiar noises upstairs of water, laughter and Alec’s continued chatter about how cool the exhibits had been. Once the plate was clear, he grabbed his cigarettes and ventured to the patio, looking down at the darkened narrow back yard. With Ted and Gayle on their own holiday, the unit next door was dark and quiet, just like the vacant one on his other side. Suppose it did give some solitude, which he couldn’t really complain about.

They still had another week before leaving, wanting to enjoy as much free time as possible before going back home and getting back to work. He already has some notes written down and waiting for him back in the studio. There was also that sodding interview he’d been working to arrange. They’d harped on him for weeks leading up to the trip, unwilling to meet him with his compromises and rules. He only had one main rule and that was no pictures of Alec and no mention of him by name. It wasn’t too much of an ask, he thought, but apparently it was if you asked the magazines and entertainments shows that frequently contacted him. Maybe he should hire someone to handle all of this shit as Hailey had once suggested? He just felt the only way it would be done right was if he handled it himself, but he sure as fuck didn’t have enough patience for the more persistent ones. He’d bickered with them bitterly for days, finally telling them he was ending the call and would call them back after holiday. He’d been too fired up to discuss it any further and wasn’t going to ruin their trip by being in a sour mood.

Thinking about it certainly wasn’t helping his mood at the moment. He wanted to enjoy this holiday and enjoy this cigarette. They’d almost had their holiday ruined by that Amazon barging back into Hailey’s life, but with that now a solid thirty hours behind them, Hailey was in better spirits and no longer anxious that the woman would pop up on them again. Finally brushing it off as a fluke encounter and nothing more. He continued to smoke his cigarette, letting his mind wander to more pleasant distractions and feeling his nether regions tingle in response. The On Demand package offered up other films that definitely perked their interests. Let her suck his dick a bit and then finish things off by fucking her good and hard. Really get her to squeal for him. He pondered over a few different options that would no doubt lead to her practically begging for it. Rumbling to himself, he absently massaged his groin. Christ, he was hard just thinking about it now and she wasn’t even downstairs yet.

Stubbing the cigarette out, he sauntered back into the lounge just as Hailey was descending the stairs. Upon seeing him, her gaze traveled southward and a playful smirk danced across her face as she slipped by him, letting her hand travel over the obvious erection his jeans couldn’t hide. Sighing against the touch, he trailed behind her as she dropped down onto the sofa and waited for him to seat himself beside her. Once his rump hit the cushions, she had her hands on his belt, unbuckling him quickly and already unbuttoning his jeans. The moment her mouth was on him, he huffed loudly and let his head drop back against the back sofa cushions and let her do her thing. Almost whimpering against the sensations, he brought a shaky hand into her hair in an effort to guide her head as it bobbed over his lap. This never failed to get him fired up. She was soon crawling to the floor between his knees, yanking his jeans further down past his knees so they were pooled at his ankles, mouth still wrapped around him as she continued to swallow every inch.

He pushed her away before she could bring him to the finish, dragging her onto the sofa and pulling at her clothing. He was interested in more pleasant distractions, distractions that involved his cock buried to the hilt inside of her. Stripped naked from the waist down, she was soon straddling across his lap and slowly easing her body onto his, her nails biting into his shoulders as he moved his own body to meet hers. It was a rather quick, heated and frantic coupling, but any thoughts of what more they could do were gone the moment she started riding his cock. Hailey lay across him, her arms around his shoulders and head resting against his. Could rest a bit like this until he got hard again and then really fuck her senseless, but couldn’t really deny that he was pretty fucking exhausted. It had been a busy afternoon and the both of them were knackered as hell. Besides, they’d damned near busted the bed the previous night with their antics, so a quickie on the sofa wasn’t the end of the world. They explored things often enough to keep things lively and he was grateful for that. He had always heard horror stories of sex lives going into the shitter within a few short years of tying the knot or having kids and he had yet to see if this had any truth to it. Granted, not every couple had a sound proof finished basement that could be used as your little playroom either. That room was the root of many stellar memories.

Eventually they did have to break away, Hailey slowly gathering her jeans and panties. Murdoc adjusted himself accordingly so he could button and zip up his jeans, leaving the belt undone since they’d probably be heading upstairs soon to crash. Hailey pulled the panties back on, but had tossed the jeans across the back of a chair, padding into the kitchen. Murdoc craned his head from his place on the sofa, smiling as he watched her reach up to the cupboards in search of food. Content with a sleeve of Ritz crackers, she strolled back over to the sofa and plopped down, passing the sleeve to him. They sat there eating the buttery crackers, washing them down with his beer. The beer was mostly lukewarm now, but he didn’t give a toss because once they finished nibbling, it would be off to bed. Plan out whatever their new day would bring. Might even go and harass Dents and Noodle at the gallery again. There was also that new little pub that opened up around the block from the gallery. One thing Murdoc did enjoy was dragging Stu with him to a place and plying him full of booze because the dim wit was a regular riot when he’d had too much to drink. Liquid balls and all. Always got mouthy with Murdoc and tried to act all tough even though a good strong breeze would knock him on his arse in seconds. Chuckling at this thought, Murdoc continued to shove the crackers into his mouth until finally the sleeve was empty and Hailey was taking it over to the bin. She wandered upstairs first, leaving him in solitude in the lounge as he finished the bottle of beer. Yeah, maybe hit up the gallery and drag Stu off to get a few pints in them. Sounded like a splendid plan, really.

*************************************************

Alicia frowned at the documents and pictures spread out before her, hearing Chloe’s voice but not quite registering the words. While they both had come to agree that Hailey’s passport and original travel documents were forgeries, it wasn’t necessarily this fact that was bothering Alicia. Chloe went over everything, even setting up a full timeline of events on the wall of Alicia’s apartment, the timeline now obscuring her map with the pins indicating sightings of Hailey. If Interpol was sniffing around, Murdoc would be minding his P’s and Q’s to avoid trouble. Chloe kept pointing out that Interpol had been looking for any reason they could find to get him, even something as petty as fraudulent travel docs. Alicia wanted her friend back, yes, but trying to blackmail them into something using their knowledge of Hailey’s travel info didn’t seem like a very solid plan. Hailey and Niccals had successfully disappeared once before and if they had any inkling that the heat was on, they’d run again and vanish. The moment Alicia or Chloe approached them, they’d have their guard up and be ready to bounce at a moment’s notice. Regardless of what they’d found, they had no way of using that information the way Alicia wanted. Would be nice if they could strong arm them into relenting and having Niccals abandon Hailey, but she just couldn’t see how such a thing was feasible.

“The boy is the key,” Chloe said firmly, pointing to more recent pictures that she herself had taken of both Murdoc and Hailey with their son. “I’m telling you, Ali, you remove the boy from the equation and you’ll have them both agreeing to whatever you want. Niccals is super protective of the boy. He’ll drop Hailey like a hot coal if it means getting his son back.”

Alicia shook her head, unwilling to entertain such an idea. She wanted Hailey back, yes, but actually trying to take the boy and use him as collateral? “What if they go to the police?” she asked in a hoarse whisper, looking over the photos. “You’re talking about kidnapping, Chloe.”

“No shit, sherlock,” Chloe chuckled, lighting a cigarette and throwing open the slider to the balcony. “Something he’s ten times more guilty of. He kidnapped his own lead singer and most likely drugged and kidnapped Hailey to get her out of the state. You just keep the demands simple. Make sure Niccals is aware you know about the fraudulent documents and if he wants his kid back and to avoid Interpol arresting his ass, he takes the kid and bounces, leaving Hailey behind and never attempt to contact her again.”

They were sitting on the floor just by the slider and Alicia couldn’t shake the whispers of warning in the head as Chloe continued to outline her proposed plan. Snatch the boy and use him as the carrot on the stick to get Niccals to cave to whatever demands they had – in this case leaving Hailey behind – or face getting thrown in prison and losing his son permanently. If he wanted the boy back and avoid trouble, he’ll do as demanded. Leave Hailey and never ever return. Alicia initially thought the idea sounded good when thinking strictly about Niccals, but Hailey wouldn’t stay behind, let alone agree to never contacting them again. She’d fight tooth and nail to get back to her son. Alicia just couldn’t see any way around this. Hailey wouldn’t agree to this, even if Niccals did. And what would it accomplish in the end because Alicia wanted her best friend back, not a defeated shell of a person only staying by her side to keep a partner out of prison and their son out of state care. There was a possibility that even Hailey could get thrown into prison for this, never mind how she got out of the country. She’d been knowingly using false documents for years. Going to the authorities would land both her and Niccals in prison and the boy would be taken from them permanently.

Alicia hated the conflicting thoughts rampaging through her head. On one hand, she knew Chloe’s idea was a pipe dream at best because no matter what was threatened, Alicia couldn’t imagine Hailey and Murdoc agreeing to any of this. Using the child as their leverage was a low ball move. They wouldn’t just give up and agree, not without a fight. Another more sinister voice whispered that Hailey needed to be back where she belonged and over time would forget about the boy. Women gave up children all the time and they always moved on and forgot about those kids. Hailey would move on and forget too. Alicia would be there to remind her where she belonged and they could get through this and put it behind them like a bad dream.

Though the voice of reason kept pointing out that Chloe’s plan would make Hailey’s fraudulent documents child’s play by comparison, she listened as Chloe went over the floor plans of the townhouse and some of their documented comings and goings. How exactly did she think they would pull this off anyway? It would require getting close enough to get to the boy and the moment the Niccals spotted them, they’d be on their guard. Chloe suggested using Jason, get him to get close enough as a distraction. Alicia shook her head against this, not wanting to drag Jason into this and he wouldn’t agree to it anyway. He wanted to stay out of it and leave them alone. “I just want my best friend back, Chloe....this is turning into more of a debacle than its worth.”

“And the only way you’re gonna get her back is to get Niccals to take the boy and leave her,” Chloe said firmly, almost glaring at her. “There’s no other way.”

“We could simply just let them know that we know about her travel documents and lay out an ultimatum.” Alicia refused to meet the red-head’s gaze as she sifted through the photographs. “She stays behind, he takes the kid and leaves. We don’t have to make it any more complicated than that.” She couldn’t imagine snatching the boy being the only avenue they had. If they were caught, they would be in prison a lot longer than Niccals would ever be. And they had no guarantee that the authorities would bother with Hailey seeing their main focus had been the musician. Hell, it was entirely possible that Hailey would be free to take the boy and go back to their home to await Murdoc’s release while both Alicia and Chloe continued to rot in a cell for their crime. It was also possible the man might not even see a jail cell for the fraudulent papers, but they sure as hell would see a cell for kidnapping the Niccals boy.

Chloe sneered, still glaring at her as she pointed to the stack of paperwork containing the information that Interpol had acquired. “You approach them with what we know without some kind of collateral, there will be nothing stopping them from bailing and disappearing again. You know this. Want Hailey back? Want her back for good? We need to force their hand and the only way we’re going to get them to cooperate is to use the boy.”

“How do you plan to get to him then?” Alicia demanded, not bothering to hide the edge to her voice. “It’s not like he’s left unattended anywhere. He’s only a little guy and his parents are never far away.”

Chloe erupted into a snorting laugh. “_I_ don’t plan to do anything, Ali. In order for this to work, it needs to be _you_ who takes the boy.”

Alicia froze with some of the photos still in her hand. She wanted to believe Chloe was pulling her leg, but the look on her face was dead pan. She was serious? There was no way in hell Alicia would be able to get close enough to get the boy. And this was Chloe’s grand plan, so she needed to be the one to do it! How exactly did she think they would be able to do this? “Hailey is in so deep with him, she won’t even listen to me, let alone allow me to get close enough.”

“Why do you think we’re casing the house?” Chloe asked flippantly. “It’s a fenced backyard and they let him play out back from time to time. They do tend to sit on the patio and watch him, but go inside from time to time to retrieve things. It would give you a two to five minute window.”

“That’s insane,” Alicia hissed, shaking her head in sheer disbelief. “You expect me to waltz up to their backyard and snatch the boy in broad daylight?”

“Any better ideas?” Chloe asked with raised eyebrows. “We only have a few options here. Either we try to get to him while they’re at the townhouse or you try to get to him while he’s out with his mother shopping downtown. Downtown might be easier...” Nothing in the red-head’s face indicated she was joking. She really thought they had a chance of getting close enough to take the boy right out from under their noses? She stifled a laugh at Alicia’s stupefied expression. “Seriously, Ali...do you have any better ideas?”

“No, I don’t,” Alicia huffed. With Hailey being impeded by a crippled right leg, it was possible to get the boy and get the hell out of there before she was caught. Christ, why was she even entertaining this idea? She wanted her best friend back but the plan Chloe was proposing would only bring them an angry and volatile woman who’d be hell bent on getting away from them the first chance she had. Trying to convince her to move on and forget about her partner and son would only succeed in driving the woman further away. Maybe they could find a compromise? Allow her to communicate with the boy, but maintain the leverage over their heads. Allow her contact with her son, but to ensure Niccals doesn’t try another snatch and run, remind them that if he attempts to reach out, they’ll both lose their son forever.

Who the fuck was she kidding? She wanted Hailey back and all to herself and the only way she was going to get that was if she severed the boy and Niccals from her entirely. Any attempts to allow contact with the boy would only continue to keep Hailey at arm’s length with her. She needed to accept where she belonged and forget about the boy and partner. She didn’t deserve any of that and didn’t belong there. She belonged here in Seattle with Alicia. Hailey needed her if she wanted to be able to live right. Look where she got herself thinking she could do it on her own! Trapped to that sleaze with a kid. No, she needed to be separated from them both in order to understand and accept where she belonged.

Chloe took the photographs from her trembling hands. “So how do we plan to do this? We only have a small window of time. They’re merely on vacation and will be returning back to England in a week.”

Sighing, Alicia got to her feet and wandered out to the balcony for a cigarette. She wasn’t sure what to do. Part of her wanted this but another part of her cried foul. Chloe’s idea was dangerous, to say nothing of illegal. If the authorities became involved, they wouldn’t give a damn about Niccals and his legal issues. They’d happily lock both her and Chloe up and let the Niccals walk away. The other thing that nagged at her was how Chloe seemed persistent that Alicia be the one to act on this. She wanted desperately to believe that Chloe was trying to help her, even knowing the red-head’s background with Hailey. Chloe had proven useful because she was also able to obtain information that Alicia hadn’t been privy to and had no way of getting. She’d been able to get her hands on the Interpol investigations, the photos and even the different reports through the years telling Alicia where Hailey and the musician had gone upon departing Seattle so many years ago. Point Nemo first only to abandon it in the wake of the pirate attack, resurfacing in some Mexican hospital only to disappear once again and not be seen until being spotted in Paris. Alicia pulled out the birth certificate and marriage documents. Alec was born in France which was followed by his parents marrying six months later. Hailey’s signature on a prenup. Everything documented. Photos of them enjoying a low key existence. Documentation of the London house purchase and then the Seattle townhouse shortly after that. Interpol wanted to get Niccals on something, but with him making a legitimate living, all they could do was watch from afar and hope he screwed up.

Hailey, no matter how broken and blind to it all, wouldn’t turn her back on the life he’d given her. Alicia felt a fleeting moment of regret, staring at some of the photos that Chloe had managed to snap of them while they did their thing around the city. Hailey was always smiling. Even Niccals had a smile on his face in numerous photos. Chloe had even gotten a few shots of them wandering around the Science Center, the boy on Niccals’ shoulders, almost laughing at Hailey, who was surrounded by butterflies in the butterfly atrium. Maybe, just maybe, there wasn’t anything malevolent here? Maybe she really did leave on her own accord and maybe he really did care about her and wanted to share his life with her? Maybe Hailey wasn’t trapped and attempting to get between them would be the final death blow to any chance of salvaging the friendship?

“Earth to Alicia,” Chloe whispered, staring at her from the slider door. Alicia blinked and looked over at the red-head, who was now looking back at her with a furrowed brow. Slipping through the door, Chloe dropped down into the chair. “Don’t chicken out now. He’s keeping her to him to rub it in your face and you know this. You want to get her back and keep her where she belongs, you need to get him to take the boy and leave for good.”

Alicia took a breath, unsure of what to say. She wanted to point out that the photos reflected something much different, but she couldn’t shake the voice in the back of her head that continued to whisper to her, tell her how she needed Hailey back and that Hailey was nothing without her guidance. Whatever she was seeing in the photos was little more than an illusion. The charade of a normal family. They weren’t normal and didn’t deserve to act as if they were. She hated this conflict. She was seeing with her own eyes that everything was most likely just fine and yet she couldn’t escape her own insistence that Hailey belonged back in Seattle with her and only her. She wasn’t supposed to be able to marry and have a normal family. She wasn’t supposed to leave Alicia’s side. And the only way Hailey was going to understand was by forcing her hand and forcing her to remain. “Trying to take him from the house will be suicide,” she whispered finally, meeting Chloe’s gaze. “We need to get to him when they’re out in public where we can blend in and get away quickly before they even realize he’s gone.” She pointed to a single photo of Hailey, her finger landing on the turned in right leg. “She walks with a limp and won’t be able to move as fast as we could once we get out to a crowded street.”

The smile on Chloe’s face was icy, her eyes almost gleaming at her as she nodded her head slowly. “You’ll need to move fast, Alicia. I’ll have a car waiting for when you get him. Now we need to figure out the best way to get close...”

***************************************************

This was almost too fucking good to be true. Alicia really bought into all of it. Tapping her fingers to the music in the car, Chloe gazed around the downtown streets as she cruised towards home. There were definitely moments where reality tried to give Alicia a kick in the pants, but all it took was a few carefully placed words and soon Chloe had her back on planet denial. The big thing was making sure Alicia was the one to get the boy and make the demands. She kept insisting that Chloe involve herself more so than she was willing to do and Chloe finally agreed to at least drive the get-away vehicle. She normally hated involving herself. Keeping her involvement minimal and from a distance was what saved her hide numerous times over the years. She’d cost numerous people their jobs and in some cases, even families. People she deemed useful to a point and quickly discarded once she got what she needed. Keeping herself away from it all while she pulled the strings was what kept her from losing jobs and friend circles. With the exception of the gutter-rat costing her that job with the ad agency, she had never been fired for anything she’d done because she hadn’t been directly involved with whatever drama unfolded that cost some other poor sap their position. There was always a motive of some kind, usually wanting the position a person was in, but there’d been times she had stuck her fingers into the cookie jar just for the sake of shaking things up.

Manipulating Alicia was a little trickier, but as long as she was careful about how she went about things, could keep the woman eating out of the palm of her hand. She knew the gutter-rat would lose it upon finding out her former friend was involved. It would be the final nail on the coffin for Alicia, which was really just collateral damage at this point. The goal was to fuck over the gutter-rat. Make her recognize her place. Everyone who knew the musician said the same thing – he always protected his own ass first and foremost. It would give Chloe the chance she’d been waiting for, able to rub it in the woman’s face once and for all that she was so worthless her own husband was willing to ditch her to protect his own fucking hide. Unworthy of that life people like Chloe had. Back to being a nobody and losing all that mattered to her. It would be so fucking delicious to see the look of shock and pain on that woman’s face. Shunning her best friend for her hand in the scheme and finally just left in the dust. No job, no place to live. A nobody in the gutter, just where she fucking belonged.

The ultimate icing on the cake would be when Chloe contacted the authorities and got Niccals arrested before he even had a chance to get on a plane, the boy snatched from his arms and shuffled into the system. If they deported the boy back to the UK, neither Niccals or the gutter rat stood a snowball’s chance in hell of getting him back. Not if the gutter-rat is forced to remain state-side and Niccals is rotting in a prison cell somewhere. Their assets would be seized by Interpol and Hailey would truly have nothing left, not even anything to remind her that she even had a son. And Chloe would be there every chance she had to make sure she could rub it in the woman’s face. Nothing but a filthy degenerate gutter-rat who lost it all because she forgot her place. The downside being she couldn’t reveal any of this to Alicia because the woman would back out. She wanted her friend back and nothing more. She was willing to let Niccals walk away with the boy if only her friend remained. Well, Chloe could continue to lead her on until it was necessary. If they panic and tried to run, Interpol would get them. If Hailey remains and allows Niccals to take the boy, Interpol would still get them all. The goal was to destroy Hailey entirely and the only way that would happen was to make sure both her partner and child were torn from her.

Pulling into the underground parking garage, she made a brisk walk towards the elevators. The apartment building she resided in was one of the newer corporate housing skyscrapers. The rent was astronomical, but between her current employment and her father, she was able to maintain the lifestyle she had grown accustomed to. Her apartment was one of the larger ones, offering magnificent views of the Seattle skyline via floor to ceiling windows and all the modern amenities one could ask for. Key code entry from the garage and street, a state of the art alarm system, shiny chrome appliances, heated laminate floors and massive vaulted ceilings. A luxury apartment, just as she deserved. It reflected her status, her superiority. And as she exited the elevator, she caught a glimpse of the security guard making his rounds on her floor. Giving him a curt wave, she let herself into the apartment and shoved her purse onto the table by the door. She wanted to do a bit more digging, see if she could find anymore juicy tidbits about the musician or even the gutter-rat. If anything, maybe go through what she did find to see if she could establish a pattern with their movements.

There was also the matter of where to keep the boy if and when Alicia does successfully get to him. She could easily chicken out or get caught, in which case Chloe would make her ass scarce and get the fuck out of there. But should Alicia get the boy, they couldn’t bring him to their apartments. There was no fucking way that would work. They’d get outed in a heart-beat if they tried that. No, they needed to find another place to keep the boy, some place he couldn’t escape so it gave them the time needed to get their demands out and see if the Niccals took the bait. Daddy owned some shops and warehouses near the water, several of which had been abandoned for several years. Daddy owned so much property through the city, any link to her would be deemed superficial at best and it would still solely fall onto Alicia’s shoulders. She would need to get the information on some of them, but a quick browse through Google maps showed her several that she knew were still vacant and could easily conceal the child. And with nobody out there but some of the transient population, even if the boy screamed and cried his little heart out, nobody would notice or care. Smiling, she screen shot a few options, writing down their addresses so she could try to get more info on them. Might have to actually go and scope them out just to see what the inside of them were like. Could send Alicia to do that. Chloe needed to remain as far away from it all as possible. She needed to make sure that if anyone saw anything, they only saw Alicia lurking around. And if they were caught with the child, make sure it was Alicia alone who would be caught up with the boy.

Satisfied, Chloe shut down her laptop and wandered back to the kitchen for a glass of wine. This would all go beautifully regardless of the outcome. The gutter-rat would find out once and for all where she belonged in the pecking order and if it destroyed a few more lives along the way, so be it. Chloe’s only concern was making sure she could walk away unscathed. Let Alicia do what was necessary and be there in time to rub it in the gutter-rat’s face.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Chapter Eighteen**

A cursory check of the townhouse revealed a dated alarm system that could easily be bypassed and disabled. Alicia gazed around the ground floor door that led to the garage. This would need to be the way in and out. She’d tailed both Hailey and Niccals for several days hoping that she could find an opening of some kind but the boy was always kept close and it meant the only way to get to the boy was to go into their home after they’d gone to bed and get him out of the house. The idea of breaking into the house made a pit open up in her stomach but she couldn’t find any other way. Getting to him while he was out with his parents was impossible and trying to snatch him out of the backyard in broad daylight with a limited window of opportunity just seemed even crazier. Part of her wondered if Chloe was intentionally trying to get her caught, but she was able to push this suspicion aside after suggesting one of them break into the townhouse after they’d gone to bed and take the boy that way. This way they have a full several hour window of getting the boy to the shop front they planned on using. The shop front on the water that had been abandoned for well over a decade. Alicia wondered why Chloe’s father never sold off or leveled the shop, but no point wondering because it gave them a place to keep Alec while they worked out getting their demands out to the Niccals to see if they’d go for it.

The downside of opting to invade the house meant they had to go back and examine every inch of the house to see what weak spots they could find. Alicia had been a bit surprised of the outdated alarm system, but newer homes were often solid as a rock. Or maybe Niccals was a complete cheapskate. Can’t really complain because it meant she’d have easier access to the house. She’d also been watching the townhouse from the back alley to get an idea of their evening schedule. The boy was usually put to bed around eight in the evening and they often retired by ten or eleven. The window to the master bedroom faced the alley and was a solid three stories up. Sometimes she spotted a bit more than she cared to witness, thanking her lucky stars that she was far enough away to not see all of their debauched glory. They apparently liked to fuck with the lights on.

Frowning at the garage door, she peered through the glass into the garage. They had gone somewhere and she wasn’t sure how much time she actually had. She’d approached the house as soon as the car had left. Could be gone a whole afternoon, could be gone only a few moments. She took a breath and grabbed the knob, turning it slowly and almost gasping when it turned all the way and the door popped open. No fucking way. They forgot to lock the door? She stepped in quickly and went straight to the panel of the alarm system. It wasn’t even fucking set. Was it all for optics? Or did they only set the alarm when they weren’t staying in it? Alicia wasn’t sure what to make of this small change in her mental plans. She had fully expected the alarm to sound, but there was nothing. Take this as a sign, she told herself as she mounted the stairs up to the main level of the house.

The living room and kitchen were sparsely furnished but quite nice. Framed art on the walls and a few personal pictures littered in between. She found herself staring at a framed picture on a table. A plain little picture of all three of them smiling together. Woods just behind them. Had this been a trip of some sort or was this taken at their main house? No time to play lookie-loo, woman, you’re on a mission. She needed to get upstairs and see which room was the boy’s so she wasn’t stuck opening numerous doors but she couldn’t help but pause and admire the décor of the home. There was a simple elegance to it. It was hard to admit that they had some pretty good tastes. Chuckling to herself, she wandered towards the stairs leading to the upper level of the home. She had to be quick because lord only knew when they’d be back. She felt somewhat confident that they would be gone longer than a half hour or so and that was all she needed to get a feel of the home.

At the top of the stairs, she could see the master bedroom from where she stood. The bed was right up against the window, the iron headboard decorated with some loose scarfs, the bedding itself thick and soft looking. She fought the urge to go into the bedroom to touch the bedding. The bed itself was rumpled and unmade, but the room was otherwise tidy. Two dark wood night stands on each side of the bed. Velcro restraints hanging from the headboard. Alicia paused a moment and stared at the restraints. Really? And leaving the door wide open for the boy to see? She shook her head as she wandered down the hall, noting that the two additional bedrooms had french doors. The Cars curtains covering one set of doors gave things away and she opened the doors slowly, revealing what was obviously the boy’s bedroom. Lightning McQueen blankets, a _**Cars**_ lamp, a toy chest at the foot of the tiny little twin bed, a dresser on the far wall with a television/DVD player combo perched at the top.

It occurred to her that everything about the house was pretty modest. Nothing that screamed wealth. No expensive toys laying about, no fancy appliances. The only thing she had really noticed was the massive flat screen plasma mounted on the wall where the living room was. Granted, this was just a vacation home and maybe their main home was fancier? She continued to wander through the hall, checking the other bedroom and finding only a small office of some kind with a laptop laying on the desk. Inching closer, she seated herself at the desk and opened up the laptop, powering it up. No log in protection of any kind, the screen lighting up and revealing a beautiful little grey stone cottage wall paper with a lovely wooded backdrop. Alicia stared at it a moment, wondering if this was Hailey’s laptop. It was a lovely picture but not something she could see the musician using as his wallpaper. Her gaze fell towards the greenery in the background, realizing she was seeing their son sitting in the grass just at the back of the house. Holy shit, this was their London residence, wasn’t it? It was a decent sized cottage, but still dated and simple. Maybe looks were deceiving and it was a swank little pad inside?

No time to ponder over that. She clicked on a few icons, pulling up what she realized were contracts and even some banking information. Investment portfolios showing returns that were more than what she made in a month. The banking documents didn’t reflect astronomical wealth, but for all she knew this was just one of many banks they used. Hailey’s line of work had been running numbers so no doubt she helped him navigate what was needed to get the best returns. Some of the information was in his name alone while others showed both their names. She closed those out with a sigh, feeling a weird bitterness she couldn’t quite place. Look at all they had. The money, the investments, the homes. A life of luxury regular people work so hard to try to obtain. How was it people like Niccals were able to get it so easily while others died trying? Even Hailey had been offered things to help her succeed that people like Alicia would never have been able to use. Scholarships and grants that had allowed her to get into college without a mountain of debt, something that Alicia and Jason still struggled to pay back.

Frowning, she continued to browse through the folders, finding home videos of them in the London residence. Even the inside of the London home was simple. Walls painted soft caramels with tables and sofas that complimented the colors nicely, a kitchen painted a marbled yellow that looked so bright and cheery and always starring one of them or all of them. Hailey sitting in an overstuffed chair with a book, looking up in annoyance and telling Murdoc to put the camera away. Their son’s first steps. Murdoc and Alec watching a soccer game in the living room and Alec shouting at the plasma “Offside! Offside! He’s offside, Da!” There was even a video of Hailey’s birthday, the shaky quality indicating that maybe their son was the camera-man, Murdoc presenting a gift on the table before throwing himself into Hailey’s lap and tugging her off the chair in a screeching and laughing heap. Alicia wasn’t sure what to feel seeing these because all she could see was a regular family simply having fun and living their lives. Their home was modest and their lives appeared mostly simple.

Another folder was full of photos. Sifting through these made the weird twinge in her gut feel worse, seeing smiling pictures of Hailey with their son or even Murdoc himself. There was even one taken in a hospital, Hailey looking irritated and exhausted on the hospital cot. Some photos showed ocean in the background and she wondered if the pictures were taken on that island. Few photos that showed the stages of construction of a room that she assumed became a studio which included several pictures of a shirtless Murdoc with various powertools. Had he always been that muscular? She could’ve sworn she’d seen pictures of a thin and spare man with a bit of a paunch. Had he really cleaned himself up that much? She would never have guessed it was the same person if she hadn’t seen his face or the tattoos. But just like the videos, there was nothing really striking or out of the ordinary about them. There were even photos of them with the singer and guitarist sitting outside on a wooden patio with the woods just beyond them. Other photos showed Murdoc with the drummer on the same patio accompanied by some pictures of Hailey with a pretty woman who Alicia identified as the drummer’s fiance. So they maintained contact with all of Murdoc’s circle but none of Hailey’s?

She shut down the laptop with an irritated sigh. She had seen enough and it was time to get out of there. A glance at her phone told her she’d been in there longer than she intended and she needed to get the hell out of there before they came stumbling in and found her there. She knew where the boy’s room was now and the biggest obstacle would be making sure the house wasn’t locked up and that both Niccals and Hailey were asleep when it came time to get back into the house. She stepped out of the office quickly, closing the doors behind her and rushing down the stairs to the living room. She paused briefly, glancing around to ensure she hadn’t overlooked anything that might help or hinder. Descending the final flight of stairs to the garage, she snagged up some tissue in a rubbish bin, silently praying that the tissue hadn’t been someone’s snot rag. Cringing to herself, she tore some of it away and stuck it into the doorframe where the deadbolt would lock in place and in the where the door would latch itself. Closing it behind her and not hearing a click, she rushed across the yard and vaulted over the gate to the alley.

She took the lengthy stretch of the alley in a jog, spotting her car still parked at the end, tucked in between two detached garages. If anyone happened to take a peek, she’d look no different than any other jogger in the neighborhood, dressed casually in skin tight yoga pants and t-shirt. She’d wanted to be able to get in and out without snagging her clothing anywhere and also to hopefully blend in should she be spotted. Keeping her focus on her car, she chanced a few side glances and spotted a neighbor on an end unit watching her jog by. Hair tied up in a sloppy bun, she could only hope they didn’t get a good enough look at her. If anyone mentioned a skinny bitch with white blond hair, Hailey would know it was her right away. She couldn’t shake the images she’d found on the laptop. Every photo she’d found showed them both smiling. Every. Single. Photo. Nothing sinister afoot, nothing appearing to be wrong. As if whatever preconceived notions she’d had were completely untrue. But it was probably all for optics. Pictures and videos only captured snapshots of their life, not every little detail. Most of the financial records were in his name alone. She may have helped him with the finer aspects of managing the money, but seeing only his name on most of the records indicated that he probably controlled the money, essentially controlling her right?

Upon reaching her car, she slid into the driver’s seat and took a few shaking breaths. Maybe this was a bad idea? The photos didn’t lie though. With the exception of a single photo of Hailey in a hospital bed, every other picture showed her smiling. That hospital photo was probably right after they’d had their son. Why else would Hailey look so worn and annoyed? Fucking hell, why was this so hard? She needed to get Hailey back and couldn’t be deterred by a few superficial images. Chloe was relying on her to follow through because she’d already managed to get a place to hide the boy and there was no going back now.

Starting the car, she pulled out of the alley and traveled around the block to avoid driving directly in front of the townhouses. Cell phone still in the car, the screen indicating she’d missed a few calls and a couple of text messages. Chloe wanting to know what was taking her so long and a few from Jason wondering what she’d been up to because he hadn’t seen her in Curry’s in a few days. She would need to message him back and let him know all was well. He’d inquired about her well being quite a few times over the last week or so, especially after she had stumbled across that picture of Hailey online. Chloe had advised keeping him at a distance if he couldn’t be used in any way, so Alicia had done just that. Maybe she should reach out and at least let him know she was alright. The last thing she needed was Jason popping up to do a welfare check on her while in the midst of trying to hide a kidnapped child.

****************************************

As soon as Hailey climbed the stairs from the garage and stood in the living room, she could feel something amiss. Every hair seemed to stand on end and the air even felt different. Narrowing her eyes, she let Alec slide from her arms down to the floor, casting a nervous look over her shoulder at Murdoc. He paused just behind her, looking around with wary eyes. Clearly he was feeling it too. She walked slowly through the living room and kitchen, looking around. Something felt off. While she could see nothing out of place, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone had been in their home. She couldn’t recall anytime before now where such a feeling struck her and she hated the spikes of panic as she took in everything around her in a desperate effort to convince herself that all was fine. Someone had definitely been in here, though she couldn’t fathom how she knew this. The air felt different, every part of the house felt different. Someone in here who didn’t belong. Her gaze fell to some pictures on a table, examining them closely. Nothing was moved. Nothing was out of place. Everything looked as it did when they’d left the house several hours prior. “Do you feel it too?” she whispered softly as she inched towards the stairs leading up to the third story. “Please tell me you feel it too, Murdoc.”

He merely nodded his head as he moved her aside and mounted the steps. “Stay down here with Alec.” Disappearing upstairs, she could hear him walking around and opening the doors. When he emerged at the top of the stairs, he gestured for her to follow. “All clear up here, Poppet.”

Venturing up the stairs slowly, Hailey looked around. She could still feel it and she could almost fucking smell it. But nobody was there and so far everything was still in place. Television was still up on the wall. Murdoc’s laptop was still on the desk in the office. Their room was untouched. Alec’s room was untouched. Had the feelings been overactive imaginations? What were the odds they’d both feel the same way, though? Even taking in the look on his face as he continued to look around. He was still feeling it the same as her. She padded into their bedroom and gazed around the room, her eyes falling onto the unmade bed. Nothing had changed. Everything was as they left it.

Murdoc sat down at the desk and opened the laptop, powering it up. As the screen lit up, he narrowed his eyes. “Love, were you lookin’ at the pictures on here?”

Hailey leaned in the doorway, shaking her head at him. “Not since before we left London.”

He sighed, looking at the open folder and shaking his head. “Fuckin’ weird...some of the picture folders were opened up.” He skimmed through the folders slowly, finally closing it out and shutting the laptop down. “Maybe I left it open or somethin’...”

Nodding her head, Hailey slipped out of the office and went back down the stairs. Alec had already claimed the sofa and had turned on the television. What was it about kids mastering new tech with such ease? He had the universal remote back home figured out by two years old and at four years old, mastered the On Demand remote just as quickly when it had taken Murdoc several days and her close to a week. He had also already browsed through the selections and had found an animated atrocity to focus his attention on. At least he wasn’t feeling their anxiety. Completely oblivious to the very real fear that both she and Murdoc had initially felt. Finding the picture folder on the laptop open had only driven that fear in deeper. She hadn’t messed with the laptop since before they’d left home and she couldn’t imagine him opening it up to browse and then forget. He had forgetful moments, sure, but he had literally just been on the laptop before they left, setting up some emails to a solicitor back home and one of the main suits from BBC that he worked with primarily. He rarely bothered with work related stuff while on holiday, but with their trip coming to an end in a good five days, he had wanted to make sure everything was lined up and ready to go smoothly once they’d returned and gotten settled.

It was entirely possible he’d been in the folder or had even opened it by accident before shutting the laptop down. Might not have even realized it when he was doing it. That laptop was a bit of a pain in the ass and he’d been griping about buying a new one but never willing to shop for one. Biggest reason behind this refusal was that he didn’t want to go through the trouble of setting the new one up with all the things he needed. Setting up a new computer was a pain in the ass, yes, but a necessary evil if he wanted to quit bitching about the current one. She’d even offered to do it for him but he still dug in his heels like a stubborn and spoiled kid. Gah, you’d never know the man was forty-nine years old with how he behaved some days.

Shoving her unease aside, she busied herself with some dinner preparations. No point lingering over the uneasy feelings that still coursed through her. She couldn’t help it though. Almost as if an instinct, some sort of sixth sense telling her that something wasn’t right and their home wasn’t safe. Maybe they should get the alarm system upgraded? It was an older system built with the home and they really only used it when they weren’t staying in it. No point in fretting because nothing had been stolen. And they had their own specific insurance in the event they were faced with an armed intruder while home. There was a handgun in the nightstand by Murdoc’s side of the bed and both were well versed on its use. They’d had the trigger lock installed once Alec was more mobile and more apt to get into things, though he’d always been reasonably good about staying out of their room. They’d purchased the gun off the black market because she couldn’t afford to have the federal background check pick up on the little inconsistencies of her immigration paperwork and Murdoc – thanks to his numerous run-ins with law enforcement – wasn’t allowed to own one. One might wonder why even bother using it as home defense if it could turn into a legal nightmare but they’d agreed that if they ever found themselves in a position to use the gun, it would be take no prisoners, keep the police out of it and get rid of the evidence. Murdoc had even purchased a silencer to ensure if the gun ever had to be used, nobody would hear the fucking thing.

She wasn’t naïve to Murdoc’s shenanigans leading up to the failed Plastic Beach tour. She knew he had law enforcement sniffing around for years and other smaller groups besides The Black Clouds that he’d screwed over to some degree. The other groups seemed to have vanished into the woodwork, but she hadn’t been blind to the plainclothes law enforcement that had trailed after them at a distance while snapping pictures of them over the years. Luckily, thanks to the failed tour and a few other traumatic events, Murdoc had realized the best way to avoid trouble was to keep a low profile and makes sure money earned had legitimate sources. Probably stupid to obtain the black market gun when they had been working hard to make sure things ran smoothly and as normal as one could expect for a semi-retired rock star, but it was only a little hiccup in the grand scheme of their life. All the money used had legitimate sources, right down to paying the taxes required. He’d wanted a few tax haven accounts, but she’d advised against it with all the shit he’d gotten himself into in the previous years. Don’t give local law enforcement or Interpol any reason to look more than they’re already looking. Play straight and narrow to the best of his abilities.

He still dabbled in the occasional illicit substance from time to time but that had become less and less as the years passed. Smoking green was different, seeing that Washington state had made it legal and they could literally go to a store and buy the shit. Even she enjoyed sitting on the patio from time to time to smoke a joint with him. Though she never expected any such courtesy, when he wanted to dabble in something harder than pot, he actually crossed lines with her. Usually it was picking up an Adderall from a local mate at the pub he frequented, the closest thing to speed he could get his hands on nowadays. If it had been a more common occurrence, she may have had a bit to say about it, but she could count on one hand how often he’d done it since they’d attached themselves to each other so she generally turned a blind eye. Besides, it was kind of funny watching him get fidgety from boredom and eventually clean the house. She never had to lift a finger on those days.

The ultimate goal was to live as normal a life as possible under the circumstances and if it meant keeping a hot weapon, some state legal pot and the occasional Adderall on hand, so be it. They weren’t saints and they didn’t pretend to be, but they sure as hell weren’t going to advertise shit when Interpol was a photographer away. She was so used to it now that it really wasn’t even that big of a deal. Not like they’d ever catch anything. Their investigation and poking only went as far as whenever they were seen in public. This was mainly thanks to Murdoc managing to stay out of trouble and her insistence that the money he brought in be handled properly, legally and without any tax havens.

As the afternoon dragged on to the evening, the weird panicky feelings started to dissipate. It was certainly enough for Hailey to suggest updating the alarm system before they left. Didn’t have to happen right this minute, but definitely something to seriously consider in the next day or two. Probably stupid to keep the outdated system to begin with but they’d never really considered anything more advanced because the only thing of value in the entire house, besides the appliances in the kitchen, was the plasma television. No point worrying anymore about it. Nothing was missing. Nothing was out of place. It was an unsettling feeling, yes, but what more could they do? Can’t exactly call the police over a gut feeling someone invaded your home when there was zero proof of it, right?

Even after several years, a lot of this stuff was still new for Hailey. From the time she’d aged out of the system up until she’d met Murdoc, she’d only ever rented places and the apartment she’d shared with Alicia had been the only place she’d lived after college. There was no worry about break ins because the elevator had required a code and their unit was like over ten floors up. The only way in was from within the building or, if you were fucking Spiderman, through the balcony. Having two stand alone homes was a bit more of a headache than she realized at times. The cottage back in London was an older home and required occasional upkeep and even more serious work from time to time. The townhouse, while newer, had its own share of issues. And much like how it was with the cottage, Murdoc was a cheap-ass and insisted on trying to do it himself versus paying a professional. Hailey simply made the arrangements half the time just to make sure things got done and she’d field his temper tantrum later over spending a few hundred on a professional versus watching him try to do it using a YouTube tutorial. Granted, being able to witness him try to do it using a YouTube video and then watching him lose his temper was pretty entertaining too.

Murdoc eventually came downstairs and hijacked the remote control and the sofa, Alec’s shrill protests echoing through the townhouse. “NO! I had it first, Da! Gimme remote!” Hailey turned to see Alec standing in front of the sofa, reaching upward with Murdoc holding the remote out of his reach.

“Who pays for it, eh?” Murdoc asked with a raised eyebrow as he kicked his socked feet up onto the table and started to surf the channels. “Dun’ matter who had it first, boy, matters who pays for the cable. An’ I’ll be damned if I have t’ watch ‘nother blasted cartoon!”

Alec frowned, jutting his lip out and stomping his feet. “I had it first! Dun’ matter who pays for it!” He reached up again, squawking when Murdoc held it up a little higher. Meltdown imminent. The boy screwed his face up, almost red now with his rising agitation, and continued to squawk and wail while reaching desperately towards the remote. “Gimme the remote, Da!”

“Oi, what happened t’ your bloody manners?” Murdoc said gruffly, holding the remote against his leg. “Is that how you talk t’ me or your Mum? Do you normally make demands like that, eh?” He looked over his shoulder at Hailey. “You dun’ let him talk t’ you like this, do you?”

“Nope,” she said, almost smirking as she continued to watch the negotiations go down. She wasn’t about to get in the middle of that. Rather difficult when you raise the boy to have a mind of his own and then get mad when he uses it. Murdoc had been more or less giving the boy an inch here or there since he could talk and walk. Was it any wonder the Alec thought he could demand the remote control back? Hailey was more surprised Alec wasn’t practically climbing onto him to get it back.

“I want the remote!” Alec wailed shrilly, climbing up onto the sofa beside him. “You need t’ share, Da, an’ I had it first! You a’ways got the remote! I had it first!”

Murdoc sighed, raking a hand through his hair. “An’ I told you, I pay for the cable so I get t’ call the shots with the remote. Not even your Mum gets t’ call the shots with the remote!”

“Leave me out of this,” Hailey said through a laugh as she rounded the sofa and dropped down on the other side of him. “This battle is between the two of you. I’m Switzerland.”

“Christ, woman, who’s side you on?” Murdoc asked with a grin. “Whatever happened t’ that _united front_ bullocks the professionals talk ‘bout?”

“Just that – bullocks,” she said, snatching the remote and clicking it over to The Cartoon Network before jumping out of the sofa and running.

**************************************

Sitting in the little cushioned patio chair, Murdoc smoked the joint in silence. Alec had been put to bed not long ago and he could hear Hailey mucking about inside. She’d probably join him here shortly. She usually did. He grinned in the darkness, feeling the blissfully heavy sensations take over. It had been an entertaining evening. After Hailey had taken off with the remote, he had chased after her up the stairs, tackling her onto the bed. He’d yelled for Alec to come and help him and soon both he and Alec were wrestling with Hailey in their efforts to get the remote back. Tickling had been an option, but the last time he’d attempted to tickle Hailey, she’d damned near knocked him out. Alec didn’t get the memo on this and apparently went into a full fledged assault, tickling Hailey’s sides until she’d been practically shrieking and finally tossing the remote to the floor. They’d leaped off of her, grabbed the remote and ran back downstairs, the two of them back to bickering over who was entitled to the remote with Murdoc finally relenting since it had been Alec who’d technically gotten it back.

Chuckling to himself, he leaned back in the chair and allowed his gaze to drift around the darkened alley and the backs of the houses in the other block behind theirs. Sometimes a neighbor would forget there were homes behind them and leave blinds and curtains open, providing some half arsed decent people watching when he was in the mood to get stoned and stare. And tonight wasn’t disappointing by any means. He had a full fledged live porn act happening in the house directly across from him, a couple fighting a few houses down from that one and some kid jumping on the bed to the point of nearly hitting his ceiling fan in another. Christ, and here he thought having neighbors so close would be balls. He chuckled again, taking a long drag from the joint in his hand, his attention on the couple having a full blow fuck-fest directly across from them. Hmm, this was getting pretty interesting. Chick was pretty flexible. Rumbling to himself, he absently massaged his groin before finally looking over his shoulder into the townhouse. “Oi, Poppet, you need t’ get out here! We have a free show that’ll put our RedTube account t’ shame!”

“Is it the freaks across the street?” she hollered from inside. “Gimme a minute, I’ll be out. Save some of the joint for me, too!” From inside he could hear her frantically putting things away and closing up the dishwasher before stumbling out onto the patio and dropping down into the chair beside him. Taking the joint he offered, she took a drag and followed his pointed finger across the street. “Wait, is that his wife? That doesn’t look like his wife, Murdoc.”

“Dunno,” he rumbled, “an’ dun’ care. Can’t see her face an’way. Whatever position that is, we need t’ try it.” He wasn’t quite sure what they were doing, but it looked interesting enough to see if they could pull it off. The woman was twisted around with her shoulders on the bed and hips up with the bloke sanding between her raised legs and drying to drill her from a standing position. Murdoc had fucked many women in many different positions, but he couldn’t recall ever trying anything like that. Granted, the last time they tried something a little different, he’d thrown his back. Not that he minded being waited on hand and foot, it lost its gloss pretty fucking quick when every move send spikes of pain through him. Hailey hadn’t even been able to give him head because he’d want to move his hips and even doing that had fucking hurt. They generally loved dropping everything to fuck, but even he could admit that they probably hadn’t even fully tapped into the amount of different positions available to them.

Hailey passed him back the joint, peering at the house across the alley. “Oh shit, Murdoc, that isn’t his wife. Unless she dyed her hair...” She leaned forward, squinting her eyes in the darkness. “Man, I wish I could bend like that. Are we sure she’s not possessed?”

“She’s screamin’ like she is,” he laughed, setting the joint aside and lighting up a cigarette. He was definitely enjoying the show across the alley. Hell, he was getting hard already. Maybe he could talk Hailey into knocking one out for him? Who was he kidding? She wouldn’t hesitate and it would probably lead to him fucking her right on the bloody chair. Could get away with it too because she was in a nightgown. All he’d have to do is unzip his fly and kneel in front of her on the chair. But did he really want to deal with splinters in his knee-caps? The patio wasn’t exactly an ace place to get it on. Enough people wander down the alley at night and he wasn’t exactly keen on giving any voyeurs a free show.

They continued to watch the show across the alley, the couple in the house twisting and turning with their different positions. The woman was too far away to verify if it was indeed the bloke’s wife or not, but Hailey was pretty insistent that the woman he was with was not the lil’ wifey. Bird had darker hair than the woman they had long ago identified as the bloke’s wife, but for all they knew she decided to dye it for a taste of something different. He often wondered why Hailey never bothered with hair dye. Probably more difficult to manage, he reasoned. Hailey’s hair was very dark. Dark hair needed to be bleached out in order to play with new colors. He wasn’t a hundred percent familiar with that kind of hair care, but he’d heard that doing that was super hard on hair and fried it. Would be interesting if she tried something different, he couldn’t deny that. With her green eyes, she’d probably pull off being a red-head easily. Or even strawberry blond. Maybe he should suggest this down the road? Add some variety?

Oooh, looks like things were getting better. Lights had come on downstairs, the couple in the bedroom clearly none the wiser as of yet. It hadn’t escaped Hailey’s notice either as she was now grinning as she smoked her own cigarette, almost leaning forward in her seat to watch was about to unfold. Murdoc returned his attention to the house directly across from them, feeling both dull but good. One great thing about this bloody state was it had primo green. The rain reminded him too much of home, but at least it offered up some damned fine legal weed. Mind still wandering, he diverted his thoughts back to the scene about to unfold in the house across the alley, realizing quickly that whoever had come home had disappeared from the lower floor. Both he and Hailey leaped to their feet when the door of the bedroom flung open and the woman they’d long ago identified as the wife just stood there, taking in the scene of her husband just plowing into the dark haired woman. Hailey stubbed her cigarette out but kept her eyes on the scene across. “What do you think she’s gonna do?” she asked.

Murdoc shrugged, part of him hoping that the two birds would get into a fight of their own. He was already hard from watching the live porn so watching a good cat-fight would make his fucking night. He continued to stare in slack jawed silence as the wife started to shed clothes and climb into the bed with the other two. Even Hailey was fucking gobsmacked at what was unfolding. Sugary Beelzebub, Hailey better plan on doing something to his cock by the end of the night because he was aching for some kind of action. The two women started to press close to one another as the man sat back at the end of the bed and Murdoc knew there was no hiding the erection at this point. “Christ, woman, you better suck my cock soon,” he rumbled, grabbing Hailey’s hand and dragging it to the front of his jeans.

“Don’t worry, you won’t be forgotten,” she laughed, her voice just above a whisper. “Just let me enjoy the show first, okay?” And though her gaze was on the home across the alley, her hand remained planted across his erection, massaging it gently through the denim of his jeans. Fuck, she might as well just get on her knees are get her mouth on it now because half-hearted rubs while her attention was elsewhere wasn’t going to fucking work.

The trio across the alley were still none the wiser to their audience and now the bloke was back into the mix. He was laying on the bed with one woman sitting on his face while the other unleashed some pretty superb looking oral skills on his cock. Murdoc’s own cock twitched in envy, his hand reaching down to cover Hailey’s so he could press her hand against him harder. This was definitely quite the show they were getting but he was ready to call this impromptu live show a wash and whip his out so Hailey could get to fucking work. He could even hear the moans of the woman sitting on the man’s face. Every moan sent ripples of chills across his body, his poor neglected erection aching with the anticipation. The rubbing wasn’t doing anything for him other than making him more and more horny. Waiting just wasn’t for him. When he wanted something, he didn’t hesitate. Oh, he’d made some women do some downright filthy things to one another during half times and intermissions while he waited for the hydraulics to get working again, but he’d never hesitated to get what he’d wanted first. And that was not about to fucking change. He wanted his cock sucked and he wasn’t going to wait another moment longer. “I can’t take it an’more,” he moaned, fumbling with his button and fly. “On your knees, woman. Bow before the master.”


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Chapter Nineteen**

Waiting between two detached garages, her eyes on the upstairs bedroom window of the townhouse, Alicia shivered and pulled her jacket closer to her body. The bedroom at the top floor had finally gone dark and she watched the seconds and minutes tick by, wondering when it would be safe. She’d already arrived just around ten to find the light still on in their room, but at least the curtain had been drawn. She probably should just leave and come back a little later to ensure they were asleep but she knew if she backed out now that she’d never have the nerve to do this. She’d already been waiting maybe ten minutes and she was sure her nerve was wavering with each passing minute even as she checked and double checked the few supplies she’d brought with her. Chloe had managed to obtain a bottle of chloroform so both that bottle and a small rag were in her jacket pocket. She kept her eyes on the darkened house, wondering how much longer she should wait before taking the chance to get in. She knew doing it now was too risky because if they’d just settled for the night there was a risk any noise could wake them. If they woke to find her trying to chloroform the boy in their home, she didn’t want to even imagine what they might do to her before contacting the authorities.

She pressed herself against the side of the one of the garages as the occasional car crawled through the alley on their way towards home. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, too many thoughts rushing through her head. She was here, she was doing this and she needed to nut up and get moving soon. She didn’t want to linger too much longer because she knew that it would only be a matter of time before she was noticed by someone. Remaining near the garage, she took a few deep breaths to collect herself and checked the time on her phone again. Okay, it had been a good forty minutes since they’d retired for the night. It had to be now. Now or never. Get in, get the kid and get out as quickly and as quietly as she could. If she lost her nerve and went to the abandoned shop empty handed, Chloe might back out and she needed Chloe’s help with this. She took another breath and exhaled loudly in the quiet night air, crossing the alley in a trot before pausing at the gate that led to their narrow little backyard. Oiling the hinges, she opened the gate quietly and slipped through, darting under the patio and bracing herself against the wall by the door to the garage. I can’t believe I’m actually doing this. This is insanity. I’m going to get caught and it will destroy any chance of getting Hailey back. She shook her head, shoving the negative thoughts away. Though part of her pointed out that forcing Hailey’s hand to remain stateside under threat would only give her back a shell of the person she once knew, another part of her kept insisting that this was for Hailey’s own good and getting back even a shell was better than not having her at all. In order for everything to fall into place, she needed to get into the house and get to the kid. He was going to be the key to Hailey’s liberation.

Turning the knob on the door, there was only a momentary hesitation before the door popped open. Thanking the universe for her luck, she stepped in silently and crept through the garage. It was pitch fucking black and she moved slowly, using her feet to feel ahead of her. The last thing she needed was accidentally kicking something over and rousing the whole house. Continuing her slow moving navigation of the garage, she finally reached the door that opened up to the stairs.

She could see dim light upstairs and paused briefly, listening to ensure there was nobody up and about. Imagine walking up to the living room and finding Hailey or Murdoc raiding the fridge for a late night snack. Explain your way out of that! Upon reaching the stop of the stairs, she dully noted the lights over the stove on, probably serving as a nightlight of sorts for them. After looking around the living room and kitchen area, she turned towards the stairs to the third level. There was another light on upstairs and she found herself freezing on the first step, again wondering if maybe the house wasn’t down for the night after all. Would it be her luck that someone was still awake? She remained frozen at the foot of the stairs, ears pricked and straining to hear every little sound from within the townhouse. When silence greeted her, she made her way up step by step, occasionally pausing to listen. So far, not a sound. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, she noted that the master bedroom door was shut and no light coming out from beneath. The door to Alec’s room was ajar, a dim nightlight casting a dull glow. The light she’d been seeing was coming from the bathroom just across the hall from the boy’s room. They probably left that on so he could use the toilet without issue. Little kids were usually scared of the dark right?

Inching her way into the boy’s room, she paused when she realized the little lump on the Lightning McQueen bedding was moving. Alicia could feel sweat breaking out all across her body as she watched the boy toss around a bit before finally settling. This was it, wasn’t it? She was really going to do this. Quietly exhaling the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, she stepped towards the bed and pulled out the bottle and rag, dousing the cloth quickly and capping the bottle. Shoving the bottle into her pocket, she stood at the side of the bed and stared down at the sleeping little boy. Do this quick, she told herself. Just do it and get things in motion. She reached the cloth down, biting her lip as she pressed the cloth to the boy’s face. He didn’t move at first and each passing second felt like a minute as she braced herself. If he was in a deep enough sleep, she might be able to successfully do this without him waking. The last thing she wanted was a struggle on the bed because the room was adjacent to the master bedroom and she did not want to risk his struggles waking up Hailey or – universe forbid – Murdoc.

She bit down against her lip harder when he started to move, shifting his face in an effort to move the obstruction. He sleepily raised a hand up towards his face, his fingers brushing against her hand and the cloth. His eyes snapped open and both hands flew to hers, clawing as he tried to pry the cloth from his face. When he started to kick and thrash at the bed, Alicia almost moaned in her panic. She climbed across the bed in an effort to keep him pinned. Whimpers could be heard, muffled by the cloth as he continued to struggle to pry the hand and cloth from his face, the whimpers only vaguely recognized as words. _Mumma! Da!_ His nails were biting into her hand in his desperate efforts to pull the cloth away as his struggles grew weaker and weaker. Alicia could feel tears burning in her eyes as she took in his own terrified eyes that looked directly at her as he continued to struggle, legs managing to break free from the tangle of blankets and beating hard against the mattress. Fucking hell, how long was this going to take? He makes anymore noise, he’s going to wake them up! She waited through the precious seconds as his movements became more and more sluggish, his hands finally falling limply to his sides, his legs going still.

She drew back, staring at the boy’s passive face as his eyes slowly closed. Pocketing the cloth, she worked quickly in gathering his comforter around him, heart still pounding hard enough to hear above the roar of blood in her ears. Leaning in to scoop the boy up with his blankets, she froze when she realized she was hearing movement from the master bedroom. The squeak of a bed, a grumbled whisper of hearing something, the voice deep and gravelly. Abandoning the blanket wrapped child on the bed, she darted into a narrow closet, leaving the door cracked enough to see. Of course one of them would wake. And it just had to be Niccals, right? With the adrenaline dumping through her system, she was almost certain her heart was pounding hard enough to be heard for miles around. She waited in the closet, struggling to control her own panicked breathing, eyes continuously flickering to the limp form on the bed. Would they notice something wrong or would they assume he was merely asleep? When shadows and movement came from the open bedroom door, she sucked in and held her breath, watching as Murdoc emerged and stepped into the boy’s bedroom. It was clear he’d been dragged awake by the sounds of Alec’s struggle, his eyes still a bit puffy from sleep, hair sticking up and he was struggling to stifle a massive yawn as he looked around the room. He was clad in nothing but a pair of loose lounge pants, which clearly had been pulled on in a rush because it looked like they were backwards. He continued to examine the room, his eyes falling to the still lump bundled in blankets on the bed before finally shaking his head and exiting the room. From the master bedroom came Hailey’s own sleepy sounding voice. “Everything okay?”

“Just thought I heard somethin’,” Murdoc muttered gruffly followed by the sound of the bed squeaking. “Might’ve been Alec tossin’ an’ turnin’...but he’s still ‘sleep...”

Alicia exhaled slowly, wiping at the sweat that had formed across her face. This was too risky. She should be thinking about getting the fuck out before she was caught. How long was she going to need to wait now? Would they go back to sleep? She fumbled for her phone to check the time. Almost midnight now. Chloe was waiting for her at the abandoned shop front and would be attempting to reach her if she didn’t show up soon. How the fuck did it end up being like this – stuck in a closet and waiting them out? Taking another breath, she crept out of the closet silently, rounding the bed and gathering the blankets around the unconscious boy. Scooping him into her arms, she cringed when she realized there was wetness in her arms and the room suddenly filled with the pungent scent of urine. The boy must have wet himself either during the struggle or shortly after. No time to think about that. She needed to get them the hell out of there and get out fast.

Holding him snugly, she darted from the room and down the stairs, pausing long enough to debate over whether she should be going through the back slider or through the garage. Upon hearing more noises upstairs, she briskly walked towards the stairs leading to the narrow garage door and reefed it open, struggling to breathe through the heavy scent of urine soaked clothes and bedding. Music erupted suddenly from her back pocket, the vibration against her rump indicating an incoming call. Squeaking in panic, she rushed through the door and let it slam behind her as she struggled to silence the cell phone and rush out of the garage through the still open back door. Rushing across the yard and through the gate, she could hear noises from the house now as it came back to life, lights flashing on and suddenly the sound of Hailey’s panicked screams. _He’s not here! Oh my god, where is he? Murdoc, he’s not here!_

Managing to silence her phone finally, Alicia shoved it back into her pocket and continued to run down the alley, the child practically slung over her shoulder so she at least had a free hand. He was amazingly light, which she hadn’t quite anticipated. Through the buzz of her panic, she could still hear Hailey’s cries from the townhouse. Fuck, Hailey was going to wake the whole damned neighborhood and there would go any chance for Alicia to escape. She needed to get to her car but it was parked at the end of the alley. When she heard a sliding door slam followed by the thunder of feet on stairs, she uttered a whimper and pushed herself forward and veered between two detached garages, nearly stumbling and dropping the boy to the ground. Tears were streaming down her face, sobs catching in her throat as she stumbled between the two garages. Was there anywhere she could hide? She needed to get herself out of sight. God, what if they spotted her running with the boy?

Up ahead she could see the shadow of a dumpster and realized she must have been near the apartments at the end of the alley. Continuing forward, she wedged herself between it and a fence, bracing herself against the cold steel with the bundle in her arms. She could hear the crunch of footsteps in the alley moving closer and closer. Struggling to control her breathing, Alicia pricked her ears to the sounds around her, straining to hear every little thing that she could. The heavy footsteps and labored breathing revealed that it was Murdoc lurking in the alley, moving closer and closer to where she was hiding. But it wasn’t just the fact that he was getting closer, it was another sound she heard that sent a spike of panic through her. It was a sound she’d heard numerous times in numerous films. The sound of a weapon being cocked. Holy fuck, he was armed? “Oh god, no,” she whimpered, still pressed against the cold steel back of the dumpster. Stifling a sob, she slowly peered out from behind the dumpster, seeing Murdoc slowly walking down the alley in lounge pants, a jacket and untied boots that had been tugged on in a rush. The street lamp behind him hid his face entirely but it wasn’t his face she was concerned with, it was the gun in his hand. It looked obscenely long for just a handgun and as he approached, she realized the gun had a silencer attached to the front of it. Shaking her head, she squeezed herself into the darkness behind the dumpster, feeling the burn of tears and unable to stop them as her vision blurred. She should have checked to see if they’d had any weapons. That was stupid to even think they didn’t, especially when she realized how outdated the security system was. Of course they’d have something else in place, right? A lot of people owned guns for home defense and she was stupid to assume there hadn’t been any back up defenses in the home. She’d just snatched their kid from his fucking bed and there was nothing stopping him from shooting her where she stood and dumping her somewhere.

“I can hear you out here,” he whispered icily. There was no disguising the menace in his voice. “Gimme back m’ boy an’ I’ll make it quick. You won’t feel a bloody thin’...”

Alicia squeezed her eyes shut, feeling tears fall. There was no way she’d be able to stay here most of the night. Her legs were already shaking and her arms and back were aching. She also had no idea if the chloroform would keep the boy out. What if he came around and started crying? Fuck, she should have had Chloe available to help. This was all her grand plan. She should be the one hiding behind the dumpster with an unconscious four year old, not her! What was she saying? Nobody should be hiding behind a dumpster with a kidnapped and unconscious four year old. But she’d gone too far to back out now, hadn’t she? Murdoc was a stone’s throw away, armed and looking for her. Her car was still a good fifty yards down the alley and she’d have to emerge from her hiding place and into his line of sight if she were to try to run for it. She wasn’t about to get shot in the back. Granted he may not chance raising the gun to her because she had the boy. Too much of a risk of the bullet going through her and hitting the kid. The other thing that alarmed her was the fact that he actually had a silencer on the fucking thing. A silencer! How were they even able to get a gun to begin with, let alone a silencer? Handguns required documentation as well as some minimal background running and if Hailey’s immigration paperwork was suspect, they wouldn’t take the chance. Not to mention the fact that silencers were pretty heavily regulated too. A low moan erupted from her, luckily unheard by the man lurking mere yards away. They weren’t as squeaky clean on the surface as Alicia had initially thought. No doubt the gun was hot and the silencer was purchased to ensure they could use it and not attract any attention to themselves.

Hailey’s voice was suddenly heard over the sounds of her own pounding heart “Did you find him? Is he out here?” The fear and pain in her voice was clear as day and Alicia couldn’t shake the twinge of guilt deep in her gut. Still bracing the limp bundle in her arms, she craned her neck so she could peer out again. Hailey was standing there beside Murdoc, clad in what appeared to be lounge clothes and a bathrobe, fuzzy slippers on her feet. She was saying something else, something Alicia couldn’t hear and when Murdoc shook his head in response, a strange thin whining sound erupted from her. When Murdoc turned his head towards where Alicia was hiding, she could see wetness on his cheeks. He took a shaking breath and leaned into Hailey, muttering to her in a strained voice that sounded on the verge of tears. Of course they’d be emotional, she reminded herself. Their kid was taken. She’d committed a crime that every parent feared and to not expect any emotion from them was stupid.

From her place behind the dumpster, she watched as Murdoc took one last look around before slumping his shoulders and turning back towards the townhouse. Hailey lingered a little longer but she too eventually turned around and followed him back to the townhouse. Alicia could feel her arms and legs trembling as she waited them out, spotting their silhouettes disappearing across the yard and through the still cracked door that led into the garage. Their house was now lit up but she was far enough down to avoid being noticed. A few neighbors had trickled out to see what had been going on, most likely alerted by Hailey’s initial screams, but they also returned back to the safety of their homes. Alicia crept out from her hiding place and into the alley, turning to the direction her car had been parked. She almost screwed up to the point of nearly getting killed. She had plotted everything out with the assumption that they’d sleep through the entire ordeal. She fucked up by not planning better. She never bothered to silence her phone or at least leave it in the car. When the phone went off, she panicked and slammed the door from the living room to the garage. Enough noise had been made to alert them of an intruder and find out Alec was missing before she could even get the fuck away.

She needed to get out of there before any more attention was brought in their direction. Chloe had assured her that they wouldn’t call the police due to Hailey’s shady immigration paperwork, but what if they decided it was worth the risk? This wasn’t a case of a car being stolen or personal items out of the house – this was their child. It was very likely they would get the police involved. And if the police got involved, they’d have fingerprints and whatever other possible evidence she’d unwittingly left behind. She had never been arrested so they wouldn’t be able to match it anywhere, but should suspicion move in her direction, they could ask for fingerprints or DNA samples, right? She didn’t want to think too hard on that. Just get to the car and get away. Stash the kid away and then figure out how they plan to execute the second half of the plan. Alicia still wasn’t completely sure how they planned to send out the demands. Chloe recommended waiting a few days to get the Niccals worked up enough to not think about anything other than getting the boy back unharmed. Give them a few days to stew over what happened so when the demands were brought to them, they wouldn’t be so quick to harm whoever delivered the message.

Reaching the car, she yanked open the back door and slid the limp, blanket-clad bundle down onto the bench seat. She still had to drive across the city towards the waterfront where the shop was located and could only hope she didn’t get stopped by a cop along the way. How could she explain an unrestrained and unconscious preschooler with urine soaked clothing? Play dumb, she told herself as she dropped into the driver’s seat and started the car. Just play dumb, take the ticket and pay it off. Don’t fight it, don’t do anything to attract any further attention. As she cruised out of the alley and onto the road, she spotted another car pulling into the Niccals townhouse, the singer and guitarist stepping out. She needed to pay attention to the road and get to where she needed to be.

Picking up speed, she felt only minor relief when she finally reached the heart of downtown and made her way towards the waterfront area. The area Chloe had arranged was part of that patch of the city most rarely ever visited after dark. The little diner Hailey used to go to was right on the outskirts, the rest of the area abandoned warehouses, storefronts and a few construction sites. The storefront Chloe arranged for them to use had been abandoned for close to two decades, too much of the building unable to meet current codes to ever be revived. It would have to be leveled and constructed from the ground up. Luckily, since most people didn’t want their businesses in an area that boasted some high crime numbers, the old store sat empty and unused. There’d been mention from Chloe that her father was planning on eventually having it torn down, but it wasn’t happening any time soon so they had plenty of time. Not to mention, Alicia had only hoped to use it a few days at best. They needed it just long enough to get Niccals to squirm and agree to their demands.

She spotted Chloe’s car parked off between the abandoned store and what Alicia could only assume had once been a furniture store. Pulling her car on the other side of the store, she got out quickly and looked around. Nobody in sight. No lights indicating anyone was squatting anywhere and the storefront itself was boarded up and dark. She collected the still unconscious child and kicked at the back door. The scent of the urine hung around her as she struggled to keep the child in her arms. As light and tiny as he was, he was nothing but dead weight and her poor arms and back were going to feel this come morning. She scowled at the door, wondering if Chloe had heard her. Kicking at it again, she finally heard noises from the other side. It felt like the longest few minutes ever before Chloe finally opened it up and gestured for her to get inside. “Basement downstairs,” the red-head said curtly as she secured the door behind them. “No windows and if the boy makes any noise, he’ll barely be heard.”

****************************************

Stuart watched as Murdoc refilled his umpteenth coffee mug with shaking hands. Both Murdoc and Hailey looked worn down and ragged. Moving around on auto pilot with dark circles under their eyes. He didn’t blame them for their appearance. They hadn’t been to sleep since being rattled awake the night before and finding their son gone. Both he and Noodle had insisted they contact the police, but Murdoc had refused. Surely the police would look past any weird discrepancies with Hailey’s immigration paperwork. Hell, they might not even notice. Their concern would be finding Alec, right? But even Hailey had balked at getting the authorities involved. If things came to light, Murdoc would get arrested and they might even toss her into jail too. Alec didn’t have dual citizenship. He’d be sent back to England and tossed into care there. England’s child welfare system wouldn’t hesitate to terminate their rights and adopt him out, especially if Murdoc and Hailey were looking at a good year or more before they’d even get to him. And there was no guarantee Hailey would ever be able to leave the US again if they were found out. Noodle had lectured them plenty about all of this, pointing out that they should have attempted to get legitimate documents for Hailey while they’d been on Plastic Beach instead of getting forgeries. Hindsight was twenty-twenty, though. Stu had to remind her that they’d left in a bit of a rush and never had time to get anything arranged. Not to mention the most obvious fact that bringing all of this up now when neither Hailey or Murdoc were in their right minds probably wasn’t the best approach. Might as well tell them it was their fault this happened.

Dawn was finally approaching and both Hailey and Murdoc had gone through the house with a fine tooth comb in their effort to figure out what had happened. From what Murdoc had told them, they’d heard some noises and he’d gotten out of bed to check. Alec had been asleep in his bed and so he went back to bed himself. They’d just started to drift back off when they were shaken awake by the sound of music downstairs and the sudden slam of a door. Initially, they thought it had been little more than an attempted robbery, but when Hailey had passed by the lad’s bedroom and saw the empty bed, she’d completely lost it. Murdoc had snatched up the gun and suppressor and rushed downstairs to try to get to whoever had taken Alec. They’d seen a shadow running down the alley with something in their arms but by the time Murdoc had reached the alley, the intruder had disappeared and neither of them had the foggiest where to look. They’d attempted to search the alley for a good hour or more after searching through Alec’s bedroom and had found Alec’s plush puppy near a dumpster but little else.

“You really should call the police,” Noodle insisted finally, lighting a cigarette. “Alec was taken from his very bed and out of the house. This is well beyond what we can do alone. You need the authorities involved.”

“No,” Murdoc snapped as he drained his coffee. “I’ll do no such thin’. We get the police involved an’ we lose ever’thin’. Might as well kiss one ‘nother good-bye forever.”

Noodle frowned and shook her head. “But they could get Alec back safely...”

Murdoc’s tired eyes surfaced from his coffee, narrowing dangerously across the kitchen at her. “Right, let’s get the authorities involved, Noods. An’ they’ll do their diggin’ an’ find out I smuggled Hailey out of the country, got her fake travel papers an’ she used them freely. You think they’re gonna give him back t’ us if we’re both sittin’ in jail cells?”

“Look, you’ve been up all night,” she said softly. “You’re stressed, you’re scared...”

“_I’m not scared!_” he shot back, throwing his half full mug across the kitchen. “Of course I’m stressed, Noodle! Why wouldn’t I be stressed? My kid – my four year old fuckin’ kid – was snatched out of his bed from right under our fuckin’ noses!”

Noodle didn’t flinch at his outburst, merely staring at him from her place on the other side of the counter. Stu had instinctively thrown his hands up when the coffee mug went flying, so certain he had been the man’s target. Too many years of being on the receiving end of Murdoc’s anger. He watched as Murdoc slumped forward against the counter, a strained noise coming from him. Stu understood where both were coming from. He agreed with Noodle that maybe they should have arranged proper paperwork for Hailey before being driven off the island by the pirates, but he also understood why Murdoc and Hailey didn’t want law enforcement involved. They get the police involved and their family gets torn apart for good. Too much shit would come to light and jeopardized their freedom and ability to get their son back in their care. The problem was that Stu wasn’t sure what they could do. How do you find your kid when you have no idea who took him and why? The thing that struck Stu was the fact that Murdoc looked absolutely terrified and struggling to keep himself in check. Practically shaking at the counter, small noises escaping from him, his dark eyes threatening tears. The last time he’d seen Murdoc like this had been when they’d faced certain death at the hands of the Black Clouds.

Hailey had been seated at the kitchen table, silent through all of this. Her eyes red and wet but not a single sound coming from her. Sometimes they’d catch a stray tear rolling down her cheek, but otherwise she was quiet. She hadn’t even jumped at Murdoc’s outburst or when he threw the mug, which was now shattered on the kitchen floor with coffee streaked up the wall. Part of him wondered if these kinds of outbursts were the norm in their home. Stu’s memory of living with the man was day after day of walking on eggshells, always being mindful not to say or do anything to set off the bastard’s astronomical temper. There were other factors there, he had to remind himself. The man had been balls deep in a speed addiction and was generally stoned and/or drunk through all his waking moments. It made sense that there might be some residual psychological issues, right? But even as these thoughts crossed his mind, Stu couldn’t quite say that this was the case. Emotions were running high right now. Everyone was scared shitless. And if he and Noodle were scared, it was probably nothing compared to what Hailey and Murdoc were feeling at the moment.

Sighing, Murdoc finally knelt down to pick up the shattered pieces of the mug. “If they’re expectin’ a ransom, I dunno what t’ tell them. We’re not millionaires.”

“Cash out some of the stocks,” Hailey whispered in a hoarse voice. “And we can sell the townhouse if we have to. Whatever it takes, I don’t care the cost.”

Murdoc dropped the pieces of the mug into the bin, looking up at Hailey with weary eyes. “An’ if they ask for millions? We dun’ have millions, Poppet. Even if we sell off ever’thin’ we own, love, we’re not goin’ t’ be able t’ come up with millions of dollars.” There was a tremble in his voice. As much as Murdoc tried to hide it, there was little doubt in Stu’s mind that Murdoc was terrified. Hailey was top of the game when it came to numbers, but she could only work with what was on hand. Stu had no idea what their financial situation was like but could assume easily that they were comfortable. He also knew that while they all still got some royalties here and there for their work as Gorillaz, Murdoc’s current profession was the main bread and butter and it didn’t come remotely close to what Gorillas had brought in for them. If someone had indeed abducted Alec for ransom, whatever monetary demands they’d have could easily be well beyond what his parents could obtain.

“I don’t care if we end up living out of a cardboard box, Murdoc,” Hailey hissed back, more tears falling. “We give them whatever they ask for in order to get him back.” She rose to her feet, swaying a bit where she stood before finally heading back upstairs. Probably to change clothing. Both were still in their lounge-wear, neither bothering to change even when Stu and Noodle had arrived at the townhouse.

Stu watched as Hailey disappeared up the stairs, frowning and turning back to Murdoc. “D’ ya fink it was a ransom, mate? Haff ya heard an’fink?”

“No, not a thin’,” Murdoc muttered, lighting a cigarette. “Not a bloody thin’. I just dun’ get it, mate. What does someone hope t’ accomplish in takin’ our boy? He’s just a wee tot...” His voice cracked, tears shimmering briefly before falling down his cheeks. “Only four years old.”

Stu frowned, dropping his gaze to the floor. He hated hearing him like this. Stu could count on one hand how often he had ever heard Murdoc break down. The man was so closed off with people that even being witness to him letting his emotions get the better of him was one of those rare things. All he could do was watch as Murdoc took a shaky breath, tears falling silently as he tried to smoke his cigarette. Stu wondered if he should approach or leave him be. He knew if he’d been in Murdoc’s shoes, he’d have wanted comfort or some sort of reassurance. When Noodle left his side, he raised his hand slowly, his words dying on his lips as she approached Murdoc and rested her hand across his back. Murdoc didn’t move at first, his eyes glassy and shimmering, staring ahead through the slider door. Noodle whispered something to Murdoc that Stu didn’t catch before leaning in and pulling Murdoc towards her, circling her arms around his back and holding him tight. Lip quivering, he blinked away more tears before finally sagging into Noodle with a moan, his hands clutching at her back. She said nothing, simply holding him and smoothing his back as he struggled to regain some semblance of composure. A hiccuping sob erupted from him suddenly as his hands clawed into Noodle’s back, whatever control he struggled to maintain finally slipping away.

Stu shook his head and stepped out onto the back patio, his gaze on the alley. He had no idea who could’ve done this or their motives. It honestly could have been anybody! Murdoc had crossed just about everyone and anyone in his lust for fame and fortune. And while he knew Hailey and Murdoc weren’t squeaky clean, he knew they kept a low profile and mostly kept themselves out of trouble. If anyone still wanted a piece of Niccals, surely they would have struck long before now. Was it a random kidnapping? Someone who simply saw the boy and decided they wanted him? Stu didn’t really want to think about motive, but knew that random kidnappings happened all the time. What would they do if no random demand came in? They may very well have no choice but to get the police involved. He knew neither of them wanted this but if they couldn’t figure out who was behind this, what other options were there?

Lost in thought, he didn’t hear Noodle slip out through the slider until the door hit the frame. Startled, he whirled with a grunt. “He a’right?” he asked finally, returning his attention to the yard.

“As good as can be given the circumstances,” she said in a matter of fact tone. “I wish they’d listen to reason and contact the police. They can’t handle this on their own.”

Stu shook his head, exhaling smoke slowly into the air. “You know as well as I do dat if dey go t’ da police, dey go t’ jail an’ never get Alec back.” It was a catch twenty-two, wasn’t it? In order to possibly get Alec back safely, they may have to lose custody. And as much as he wanted to believe Murdoc didn’t have a paternalistic bone in his body, he’d seen enough through the years to know this wasn’t a hundred percent true. He’d seen how Murdoc was with Noodle when she was young and had seen how he was with Alec since the boy had been born. He wouldn’t just step aside and let some cold government agency tear them apart and take his kid away forever.

“They need to think of something,” she said softly. “Every minute that passes means their chances of locating and getting Alec back safely grow smaller and smaller.” Her hand dropped down to her stomach, massaging it gently. “They’re stressed and scared, Stuart. They’re not thinking straight.”

Of course Noodle would try to be the voice of reason, right? That was just how she was. She was looking at it as getting Alec back safely, even if it means never being returned to their care. He knew Murdoc and such a thing would never cross his mind. And while he might be stressed out and frightened, he was a lot smarter than many gave him credit for. Even Noodle should know this! Murdoc was tenacious and driven. When there was something he wanted, he didn’t stop until he reached his goal. And Stu knew that he wouldn’t stop until he got his kid back. As for Hailey, Stu was pretty sure she was the same way. She was cold and calculated. He’d seen this enough times back on the island and even during their months in Paris. They might not be able to track Alec down today or even tomorrow, but they wouldn’t stop until they did and he actually dreaded what would be in store for whoever was behind this.


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Chapter Twenty**

Alec’s wails could be heard as soon as Alicia opened up the back door to the old store.  Pausing at the back entrance, she closed her eyes and took a breath. The wails were strained and hoarse. He’d been awake for a while now and had been crying and screaming the entire time. He might soon stop from sheer exhaustion alone.  Part of her actually hoped that would be the case because she wasn’t sure if she could handle hearing his cries through the next few days.  How long could a child this age go on before exhausting themselves? Given how strained and hoarse he was starting to sound, couldn’t be that much longer, right?  One good thing about him being as young as he was – he would be too scared to try to figure out a way to escape. The most he would do was cry for his parents. 

Chloe had directed her to a basement room below the shop when she’d first arrived with the unconscious boy. The room itself was bare save for  two bent chairs, a lopsided table and  some filthy and ragged blankets that had been pushed into a small pile.  After laying the boy on the blankets and securing the door, both her and Chloe had gone back up to the main level of the old store and took the time to go over when they planned to send out the demands.  The one thing that had made Alicia the most nervous was the fact that both of them had to go to work and leave the boy alone for a significant chunk of the day. Though Chloe had assured her that nobody visited the old shop, Alicia had gone to work absolutely terrified that some random person w ould get into the shop and find the boy stashed below  or – worse yet – that their assumptions about the Niccals would be wrong and Amber Alerts would start flashing across phones .  Without the time to go back and check on the boy during her shift, all she could do was ride out her rising anxiety until it was time to leave, her heart leaping into her throat every time she felt her phone buzz or chime .  It would be her luck that their assumptions about Murdoc and Hailey were wrong and they would go directly to the police regarding their son. She’d finally left work at the end of her shift both physically and emotionally drained, feeling only minor relief that there’d been no  alerts for the missing boy or any reports of some schmuck finding a scared little boy locked up in the basement of an abandoned store.

Seeing that it had been nearly a whole day since she’d taken  Alec , she knew he had to be hungry and had picked up a Happy Meal for him along the way. Now standing in the shop with the carton of fast food, she could hear his  raspy  sobs as he cried out for his parents. Heading to the lower level, she unlocked the door and opened it up, catching a glimpse of the boy as he scuttled across the room in an unsuccessful effort to hide. She could hear his hitched breathing and whines. “Alec, honey, I brought food.” When she received no response other than a few sniffs and whimpers, she set the food onto the narrow table and claimed  one of the bent chair s .  She had to remind herself that he was scared . He  was only four,  after all, and ha d no idea what  was going on . “If you’re hungry, I got a Happy Meal,” she said in a soft voice,  wrinkling her nose at the pungent smell of urine. He either went to the bathroom again while unconscious or had found a spot to go while she’d been gone. There was also a possibility she was smelling old urine. He had peed himself during their struggles when she’d chloroformed him and he was still in those same pajamas . 

Alec peered out from behind an empty and battered vending machine, staring at her and the carton of food.  His dirty little face was red and wet from tears, his pajamas now filthy. As he slowly emerged from his hiding place, he watched her with wary eyes as he inched his way towards the Happy Meal carton. Alicia didn’t move, remaining in her seat. Much like that of a trapped animal, Alec moved slowly, his eyes darting between her and the food, finally snatching up the carton and darting away to the blankets. It almost pained her to see him tear into the box hungrily, shredding the wrapper off the cheeseburger and devouring it quickly. She wanted to warn him against eating so fast, but decided to say nothing. Even as he went through the contents of the carton, his eyes never left hers.  Alicia merely watched as he continued to eat, saying nothing. He shoved some french fries into his mouth, cheeks swollen from the amount of food he was trying to stuff into his face at once, before finally speaking. “I want me Mumma an’ Da. Take me home.”

“ I can’t right now,” she said in a low voice. At some point, Chloe would arrive and they needed to figure out just how they were going to deliver the demands to Niccals. They both agreed to wait a few days to make sure the man was desperate enough to cave to whatever demands came his way. The thing that frightened Alicia the most was if he agreed only to get close to those behind taking his son.  Oh god, what if they both wait it out just to get to them. Once the demands were laid out, they’d know who was behind it right off the bat. They may very well hunt her down before any potential meetup for the exchange. Did Chloe consider this?  Had they thought all of this through well enough to factor in all possibilities? She’d discovered that the Niccals were armed and if they had a chance to get the boy back and come face to face with whoever was behind it, they’d probably bring the weapon.  T here was little doubt they’d use it if they felt necessary. They could easily just shoot them both, take the boy and leave!

The more she thought about it all, the more real the possibilities became. Everything had seemed like a perfect plan when Chloe was outlining everything. Get in, take the boy and then toss out the demands. She’d been digging deep  enough into their backgrounds to know  that both Alicia and her had enough dirt to use as some sort of collateral. Alicia went along with it because she was desperate to get her friend back and was willing to do whatever it took  but she hadn’t really given any thought to all the different avenues the situation would take. She hadn’t counted on them possessing a weapon. She hadn’t bothered to even consider that they’d feign taking the bait to get close enough to those responsible for taking the boy. Chloe pointed out that threatening prison time and losing the boy permanently should be enough incentive. They were asking Hailey to turn her back on her son and never contact him again. How was that any different? How could they even be sure Hailey would comply? She might go along with it all initially, but it would only be a matter of time before she tried to reach out to them. Chloe said just keep the threat of prison over her head. As long as  Hailey did as she was told, they would have no need to contact the authorities. The choices were simple: sever contact and be happy Alec was being raised by his father or risk both of them going to prison and Alec being lost to them both.  Given Hailey’s background and the fact that she’d been a loose canon, was it possible to have her declared mentally unwell? Maybe do that and get it set up to where Alicia could be her caretaker. She’d have more legal leverage if that were the case. Legal protections should Hailey manage to escape and try to get to Niccals and the boy. Claim she’s delusional and only thinks she’ s married to a celebrity and has a child. Niccals keeps his family identity under wraps so not a chance anyone would think Hailey’s claims had any truth to it, right? This way, if she did manage to free herself, nobody would take her seriously.

Chuckling bitterly, Alicia shook her head at the thought.  No, t hat was  just plain  stupid. There’d be no way she could do any such thing because both Hailey and Niccals had been seen together and if Hailey went to the right people, that would be it. Chloe seemed to think that threats  of prison and losing their son to the system would be enough to get Hailey to comply  but this was only because C hloe saw Hailey as a low class nobody who  would rather save her own hide. The idea that Hailey and Niccals had any affection for their son was a foreign concept to the woman. Alicia wasn’t sure how Chloe came to these beliefs, but that probably didn’t matter. The woman thought people that didn’t grow up like her couldn’t possibly be human enough to care for their children and would willingly abandon them in order to save the mselves .  Maybe deep down Alicia believed that as well?  She kept telling herself that it would take time, but eventually Hailey would understand where she belonged and moved on from Niccals and the boy .  Yet even as she told herself this, whispers of reason kept pointing out that it would never reach that point and it was a pipe dream to think she could recapture the friendship that she and Hailey once had.  Especially under such circumstances.  But it was too late for second thoughts now, right?

From above her, Alicia heard the hard groan of the back door and footsteps. Speaking of the devil, she thought to herself as she continued to watch the boy eat what remained of his food. Chloe was the one orchestrating most of this so she needed to be the one to figure out just how they were going to pass on the demands to Niccals and hope he takes the bait. The problem was that Alicia could tell Chloe was trying to keep her involvement at a distance. She helped acquire the place they were using to hide the boy and was the main one to find all the dirt on Niccals as well as track their movements a little better, but she made it clear that Alicia was going to be the one to snatch the boy and the one to establish the demands. Alicia still wasn’t sure just how to get the demands to them. Mail them? Hope they weren’t home and drop off a letter on their doorstep? Drop them off at that art gallery that was run by the singer and guitarist? She really hadn’t thought a lot of this through now had she? Not to mention the now nagging fear that the Niccals would only take the bait in order to get to whomever was behind it. There was some hope that motherhood and domestic life had dampened Hailey’s volatile nature, but it was also possible that motherhood had amplified it.

She shoved the negative thoughts away as Chloe’s step grew louder and louder, the click of her heels now heard just outside the doorway to the damp and decrepit little room .  Alec  perk ed his head up from his food,  now on high alert as the door slowly opened .  Uttering a whimper, he dropped the food and scuttled back behind the dented vending machine . Stepping into the room, Chloe looked at the empty pile of blankets  and partially eaten food  with a frown. “Where’s the boy?”

Alicia pointed towards the vending machine. “Hiding. He’s scared shitless, Chloe.”

“Of course he’s scared, you idiot,” Chloe snapped as she dropped her jacket onto the table and pulled over another chair from the wall. “You snatched him out of his bedroom and kept him locked up in a cold-ass basement. You didn’t pick him up for summer camp!” She shot a look over at the vending machine, almost sneering as Alec slowly peeked out from behind it. “Not sure why you’re hiding, you little fucker. Get on out here and sit your ass down.”

Alicia’s protest died on her lips as Alec slowly crept out from behind the vending machine, his eyes now on the petite red-head. When Chloe made another noise and gestured at the blankets, he seated himself onto them without another word, his gaze now on what remained of some of his food. More tears shimmered in his eyes, falling down his cheeks as small hiccuping sounds erupted from him. Rising from the chair, Alicia shook her head, lighting a cigarette. “There’s no need to be a bitch to him.”

Chloe erupted into a humorless laugh. “You’re right, there’s not, but he’s nothing more than an extension of that piece of trash musician and the Gutter-rat. No point in being kind. Trash breeding trash. He’ll grow up and breed trash of his own.”

“I’m not trash, you’re trash,” Alec said defiantly through his tears. “I wanna go home t’ me Mumma an’ Da. Take me home now!”

He shrank back when Chloe got to her feet and stalked towards him. Alicia flinched at the sound of Chloe’s hand cracking hard against the boy’s face. “Call me trash again,” Chloe warned, “and I’ll knock you against a wall!” Her voice was almost unheard over Alec’s shrieks and wails as he curled into the blankets with his arms around his face. Sneering, Chloe stormed back to the chair and dropped into it with a huff, rolling her eyes in annoyance as the boy’s cries filled the room. “Stupid little fucker...now we have to sit and listen to this shit for an hour.”

“That wasn’t necessary,” Alicia spat, rising from the chair and approaching the wailing child. She hated her conflicting thoughts over the matter. The child was an extension of Niccals. Would grow up to be just like him. But he was only a four year old little boy who didn’t understand what was going on or why. He just knew someone had taken him from his parents. Chloe smacking the kid around wouldn’t help the situation. “The idea was to hold him a few days to make his father sweat a bit, not knocking him around whenever he says something you don’t like.”

“How else is he going to learn his place?” Chloe snapped back with a sneer. “Why do you even care what happens to him anyway? The whole point is getting the Gutter Rat away from him and his piece of trash father, yes?”

“I didn’t sign up for terrorizing the poor kid,” Alicia shot back. “Did you stop to think what might happen if the kid relays to his Dad that he was getting smacked around?” She bristled when Chloe merely waved her off dismissively. The woman needed to take things a bit more seriously. This wasn’t someone’s pet, this was someone’s child. A child who could speak and identify them both. Once back with his father, he’d probably spill it all. What if Niccals decided no deal once he found out about Chloe striking the boy and called their bluff to get Hailey back? Would they even be able to walk away after the trade?

Lighting her own cigarette, Chloe rolled her eyes. “What can he do? We hold the cards here, Ali. He can take the boy and go home or go to prison and lose the boy for good. How his crotch dropling was treated will be the least of his concerns.” Wrinkling her nose, she waved her hand in front of her face. “Reeks like piss in here. Jesus, is he just peeing himself or something?”

“He peed himself when I took him,” Alicia muttered back. “Not sure if it’s old pee or he went somewhere in the room.” She caught the boy watching them both with wet and red eyes. He had gone back to eating what remained of his Happy Meal, sniffing occasionally and wiping at his face.

“Fucking disgusting.” Chloe shot the boy a venomous look. “Can’t fucking hold it for a day or something? Gotta go in your filthy clothes like an animal?”

Alec flinched at the sound of her voice, cowering back into the wall with his food as fresh tears fell. “I’m sorry,” he whispered in a strained voice, sniffing loudly. “I can’t hold it that long...hurts my tummy an’ privates.”

Alicia stubbed out her cigarette and flashed Chloe a dark look. “You’re not helping,” she said firmly. “I’m not going to stand here and watch you admonish the boy for something out of his control. He’s four, not fourteen!” Why the fuck was she feeling so conflicted now? She was balls-deep in this and backing out now was out of the question. But she hated the sick feeling in her stomach every time the boy whimpered or cried. Hated the scared green eyes that watched both her and Chloe carefully. They needed to set up the next step of the plan and get the demands out. She couldn’t dwell on this any more. Get things moving so she could give the boy back to his father and then move on with their lives. Get Hailey back and try to recover from all of this. Would that even be possible now? Chloe may very well end up fucking everything up because she couldn’t control herself around the boy. No time to ponder over all of that now. It was time to turn their focus into Phase 2 of the plan and that was figuring out how to get their demands to Niccals without being caught and hoping he took the bait. There was a risk he wouldn’t agree to the trade and may try to make things difficult for them. Alicia wasn’t sure what but didn’t want to linger too much on that because she would lose her nerve. Chloe was confident that threats of prison time would make Niccals more cooperative and willing to do as asked. They would be hanging the same threat over Hailey in order to keep her in Seattle. Stay put, never contact Niccals and the boy again. Failure to obey would result in both her and Niccals going to prison and their son being taken away permanently.

Her gaze fell back on the dirty little boy in the Lightning McQueen pajamas, tears still staining his face as he slowly tried to eat what remained of his food. They were on borrowed time and needed to quit spatting over things and put their heads together for the next stage of the plan. Figure out how they would word the demand letter and how they planned on getting it out to the Niccals. They also had to double check and make sure that neither Murdoc or Hailey had gone to the authorities. So far, with little word coming across the news or radio, Alicia felt safe to assume Chloe had been correct in her assumption about them not doing so. Get this done and get it over with so they could all go their separate ways and Alicia and Hailey could try to rebuilt what had been broken so many years before.

******************************************************

Sitting on the edge of Alec’s bed, Murdoc clawed his hands through his hair. He knew he needed rest. Neither he or Hailey had slept at all since discovering Alec missing. They’d been running on fumes and emotion all day. It had been too many years since he’d forgone sleep and he was certainly feeling it but the idea of even getting a few moments of shut-eye while Alec was Satan knows where didn’t sit right with him. Though he knew that sleep was a must if he wanted to be able to think clearly, all he kept picturing was Alec’s little face looking up at his captors in horror. Why had he been taken? For what purposes? Nothing else had been taken and there’d been no word of any demands....fucking hell, had Alec been taken by a trafficking ring? Had Alec been pointed out at random while out shopping in the market and snatched up so some vile beast could have him all to themselves? Jumping to his feet with a strangled moan, Murdoc lit a cigarette with shaking hands and paced around the narrow little bedroom. He couldn’t let those thoughts get away with him. He had to remain clear-headed as possible if he was going to figure out what the fuck happened and crumbling under perceived motives wouldn’t help his son. They had no idea why he’d been taken or by whom, only that he was gone and they needed to figure it the fuck out.

There were a couple of things that had caught his attention once he had a chance to really examine the boy’s bedroom. The comforter, which had matched the rest of the boy’s bedding, was missing. This meant whoever had taken him had taken that as well. He’d also noticed that the boy had wet the bed. This itself had been odd because the boy had done so well toilet training. Still had the occasional accident during the day, but he’d done stellar overnight. Murdoc cast a narrow eyed look at the massive stain in the center of the narrow twin mattress. It had most likely happened as he was being taken. He’d heard noises from the boy’s room that had roused him enough to get out of bed and check on Alec, but hadn’t noticed anything out of place. Alec had been sprawled across the bed and tangled in his blankets, still sound asleep. Murdoc mentally kicked himself for being groggy and somewhat out of it because had he been on alert, he’d have picked up that an intruder had made their way into the home. The person responsible had most likely been hiding in Alec’s room even as he’d stumbled in to check on the boy. This ate away at what little reserve Murdoc still had and it took him a long moment to realize the sound he was now hearing was his own rising whine in the empty room. They’d ignored the obvious! He despised feeling this helpless, but how the hell was he supposed to feel knowing that the person who took his boy had been hiding in Alec’s room, watching him and waiting while Murdoc had poked his head into the room and completely none the wiser!

Had he been on his A-game, he would have picked up on it in seconds flat, just like they had when they’d come home that afternoon. Pausing in the center of the bedroom, Murdoc uttered a growl. They had felt something amiss the other day when they’d returned to the townhouse. He’d even noticed his laptop had been messed with, but both he and Hailey had brushed it off as him opening up the photo folder by accident or simply doing so and forgetting. Nothing had been taken but it still hadn’t change the fact that both of them picked up on something wrong in the home. Satan’s balls, they’d both picked up on their home being violated but had done nothing. Whoever was behind this had probably been the intrusion they had sensed. How did they overlook it? A decade ago, he wouldn’t have ignored the uneasiness and would have been on alert the moment he’d picked up on the violation of his home, even if it had been merely his Winnebago. Given Hailey’s reaction when they’d walked into the house, he could only assume she was the same in that regard and would have been on high alert just as he would’ve. But they had both brushed it off, ignored it once they determined that nothing in the home was missing and the intruder was no longer in the townhouse.

Had the intruder they sensed been casing out the house to determine the layout? It would certainly explain why nothing had been taken. Murdoc perked his head up and gazed around the narrow bedroom. Had whoever invaded their home planted things to hear or see their day to day operations within the home? Though reason said this was pure paranoid drivel, he couldn’t dismiss the thought entirely. Nothing had been taken, but they both had sensed that an intruder had been in their home and barely twenty-four hours later their son had been taken. He scanned the room quickly, even picking up the Lightning McQueen lamp and looking it over in his hands. Bottom of it still intact, nothing out of the ordinary about it...but how often had he really examined this thing? Hailey had purchased it when they were setting up the room. He hated the character themed rubbish only because he found it tacky and garish, but since it wasn’t his room he’d left it all to Hailey. Alec loved the shit and loved the Disney franchise, so he’d mostly kept his mouth shut about it. But this now meant that anything out of the ordinary could be overlooked by him because he never bothered to actually really _look_ at them.

Stop it! You’ll drive yourself mental if you keep this up. Sighing, he set the lamp back down on the little side table and knelt down with a groan as his knees protested against the hard laminate flooring. He didn’t think he’d find anything that would help because they’d both been through the room over and over again. Once on his hands and knees, he pressed himself to the floor so he could peer under the bed. Other than the few things they’d noticed prior – a pair of shorts, some overlooked dust bunnies and what might have been a rolled up pair of socks – there was nothing else. Murdoc frowned and pushed himself back up to his feet. They knew whoever had taken Alec had used the alley to escape. His plush puppy was found near a dumpster several houses down. He couldn’t recall seeing any strange cars passing through the neighborhood but neither one of them had been in their right minds in those moments so it was possible that whoever had taken Alec could have passed right by them.

The thing that continued to nag at him was the fear that this was another kidnapping like the little girl who’d been kidnapped from the hotel suite while she’d been on holiday with her parents. What if that was what it was? What if they never found Alec? That little girl was still missing and it had been seven or eight years now. Christ, what if they end up spending their lives trying to find their boy? The idea of never knowing what became of him or where he’d gone destroyed what little reserve Murdoc had. Sinking back down into the bed, he clenched his teeth against the sting of fresh tears and the weight that seemed to crush his chest. Scrubbing his hands against his face, he took a few deep breaths in an attempt to regain his wits. He couldn’t let those thoughts get away from him. This would not end like the other case. They would find their son. And when they got him back, whoever was behind it would pay so very dearly. He would make sure of it. Whoever took Alec would regret the day they were born because both he and Hailey would make their final moments the hell on earth they deserved.

But could they find him on their own? Should they get the police involved? Both Stu and Noods had insisted they get the authorities involved but Murdoc hadn’t been a hundred percent on board with that because neither he nor Hailey wanted them prying deeper than necessary. Hailey herself had said that if the police dug too deep, they were both at risk of being imprisoned and losing Alec permanently. Sure, the police might find him, but they’d ship him back to the UK and toss him into care. They’d never get him back, even if they only served a year or two tops. Given his age, a year was like a decade and it would be easy to claim he’d bonded to his carers and that would be the end of it for them. Getting the local police or even the feds involved would cause more harm than good, in their opinion. Besides, how could they exact a just revenge on the people responsible if they allowed the police or feds to get their hands on the person? He and Hailey alone were entitled to that privilege. They would have to figure out who was behind it first and foremost, so it was time to buckle down and think. Go over anyone in their lives who had an axe to grind with either of them. It would be a long list on Murdoc’s end but a necessary evil if they wanted to figure out who had taken Alec from them. Emotion currently clouded their judgment and they were no use to their son if they couldn’t get their wits together and start looking into the who’s and why’s. He was a thinker, but he let his emotions get in the way of things and this often led to him going off the rails unintentionally. Hailey was the cold and calculating one. She could shut it all down to do what was needed. Christ, he needed that cold no-nonsense bitch more than ever right now! She was the one who could think ahead and plot course based off any potential roadblocks, real or imagined.

Taking another breath, Murdoc slowly got back to his feet and took one last look around the room. There was nothing in there to tell him who had taken Alec or why. He could go and check the alley again, but they’d combed the alley for hours earlier and had only found Alec’s plush puppy. Whoever had snatched his boy had left nothing in their wake that could tell them what had become of their son or why he’d been taken from them. Sighing, he exited the room and descended down the stairs. Upon reaching the lower level, he spotted Hailey still seated on the sofa holding Alec’s plush puppy. She looked as exhausted and worn out as he did, her eyes hollow, the lack of sleep and stress clearly taking a toll. Should he suggest she take a nap? Probably not the best suggestion, he reasoned. Not right now anyway. Napping – even if necessary – was the last thing on either of their minds. Reaching the sofa, he was met with her glassy and red eyes, most likely just recovering from another bout of tears and the voice that spoke was strained, raspy and low, most likely still raw from her cries and screams from last night. “I take it you didn’t find anything?”

“Not a thin’,” he whispered back as he dropped down beside her. What more could they do at this point? Should they get the local authorities involved? Once the locals got involved, no doubt feds would get involved. It would spiral from there. He knew this and so did Hailey. It was why they didn’t want to get any law enforcement involved. But fuck it all, he had no idea what to do or where they could even start! Neither had the foggiest who was behind this. No demands had been made, but he had to remind himself that it had only been about twenty-four hours and it was possible that whoever was behind this might still be working out whatever demands they had in mind.

Christ, what if it was monetary? What if they demanded millions? He didn’t have millions. Close to it, sure, but none of it was liquid assets. Investments, property and the comfortable income he received from the local television hacks. Hailey may have been a wonder with numbers, but she could only do so much with what they had. He groaned aloud without meaning to, catching sight of Hailey now staring at him as he scrubbed his hands across his face and gritted his teeth against the sob that threatened. If the kidnappers wanted money, they’d round up and liquify whatever they could to come up with the cash, but it would most likely fall very short from whatever the kidnappers may want. Snatching up a celebrity’s kid was a crap shoot. Especially when said celebrity no longer involved with the very thing that had turned them into a celebrity. The money and royalties from Gorillaz were mostly tied up in a few investments and had been used to buy their London residence. Maybe they’d take half? He could probably wrangle five hundred grand in a pinch.

Who the hell are you kidding, old man? You don’t have five hundred grand laying around and going to the bank to withdraw that kind of cash would raise a million red flags. Not to mention, he was going purely on assumption at this point. They didn’t know what the kidnappers wanted. But why else would Alec have been taken? It had to be some arsehole’s get rich quick scheme and they just happened to be the unlucky fucking targets. Luck of the draw, right? Could’ve been anybody, yeah?

Rising from the sofa, Hailey disappeared upstairs with the plush puppy still clutched in her hands. Murdoc soaked in the brief moment of solitude, his thoughts wandering as they tried to piece the night’s events together. They would have to go through everything and everyone. Figure out if there were any old enemies out there with the means to pull off something like this. The thing that bothered him the most was realizing that whoever was behind this was most likely someone _he’d_ fucked over. Hailey had her own list of people she’d crossed to some degree, but he couldn’t imagine any of them having the stones and spine to pull off something like this. Murdoc, on the other hand, had a laundry list of people he’d pissed off through the years. And the people he’d crossed most definitely had the connections and means to get in and snatch their son up. The Black Clouds took the better part of five years before tracking him down so it wasn’t a reach to assume any other person or group took longer. But wouldn’t it have been easier to just get to him when he’d been more public? Why wait until he’s settled and keeping a low profile? Had they been waiting for him to finally have something they knew he’d do whatever asked in order to get it back?

No, that was stupid. No person or group would twiddle their their thumbs for nearly a decade in the hopes he’d get married and have a kid just so they’d have better collateral. If there were anyone else still out there with a grudge and enough motivation to go after him, they would have done it long before now. So what else was left at this point? Should they both just make a list of people and slowly go through them all, phoning them up and asking “Oi, arsehole, got our kid?” A bitter laugh erupted from him at this thought. At this point, anything was worth a shot. Serious as the situation was, the humor wasn’t entirely lost to him. Could you imagine the looks on everyone’s face when they started ringing people up asking if they had Alec?

Hailey emerged from upstairs, now empty handed as she descended the stairs. “What do we clearly remember about last night, Murdoc?” She dropped back into the sofa, giving his knee a squeeze. “We saw someone running down the alley...”

“Err, yeah, heard the door slam an’ then saw someone runnin’ down the alley with somethin’ in their arms,” he muttered back, staring at the hand on his knee. “They disappeared near the dumpster at the end of the alley.” Dragging up the recent memories, his face settled into a deep frown. The figure he’d seen running had been little more than a blob of shadow. He hadn’t bothered to grab his glasses so everything had looked like fuzzy blobs of shadows to him. Whoever had snatched Alec had the boy bundled in his comforter. They had been wearing a hoodie or something cloaking their head. Or...had it been long hair? Christ, why was it so hard to clearly remember what he’d seen last night?

“The ringtone was what got our attention,” she said in a matter of fact tone. “They forgot to silence their ringtone. Then we heard the door.” She frowned, her gaze now on the floor as she raked her hands through her dark hair. “What was the ringtone, Murdoc? It was some tacky pop song, wasn’t it?”

Shrugging, Murdoc shook his head. “I dun’ remember, Poppet. I barely have a grasp on what I saw while out in the alley.” He hated feeling this helpless. He hadn’t felt this helpless since he was a boy himself and at the mercy of his father and older brother. He didn’t know what to do or where to start and this drove him mental. His gaze fell to his hands, brow furrowing as he struggled to to sift through memories of last night, desperate to pick through the haze of panic. He’d seen someone running with something in their arms. Alec’s plushie was located near a dumpster at the end of the alley. Alec had wet the bed. Alec hadn’t made a peep to alert them, it had been the abductor’s cell phone and slamming the door to the garage that had gotten their attention. Wait...Alec hadn’t made a sound? Murdoc’s eyes narrowed as he focused on those moments he’d gone into the boy’s room to check on him. Alec had been sprawled across his bed, tangled in his comforter and out like a light. The lad was a heavy sleeper but Murdoc didn’t think he would sleep through his own abduction. Had he been drugged? How else would his kidnapper had managed to get Alec out of the house without him waking and rousing his parents?

Rising from the sofa abruptly, Murdoc crossed the short distance to the stairs that led down to the garage. The inner door rarely was ever locked and he mentally kicked himself some more for this because had the door been locked, whoever had taken the boy might not have gotten too much further. He opened the door and stepped into the garage. Nothing out of place. Rental car sitting in its spot, furnace off in the corner and a small work bench area that he used to store a few tools and other things needed for quick repairs in the home or if whatever rental they had needed a quick flat repair. His eyes traveled across the clutter to the back door that led to the small fenced yard. He made a brisk walk to the door, hearing Hailey trailing behind him as he examined the door. In the door jamb was a wad of tissue, near hidden enough to escape their notice but big enough to keep the door from locking properly. “Poppet, come take a look at this.”

Hailey knelt down to take a look at the tissue, pulling it out gingerly. “How did we overlook this?” She held up the tissue and looked it over with narrowing eyes. “Whoever took him cased the house and made sure they had a way in.”

Taking the tissue from her, he dropped it into the waste bin next the door. They had both already speculated that the intrusion they’d sensed had been whoever it was going over the house layout and this just solidified the belief. The boy’s abduction had been planned and whoever was behind it had been in the home and ensured their way back into the house once they were home and asleep. The only thing he couldn’t quite figure out was how they got Alec out of the home without the boy raising hell, but it wasn’t too much of a reach to assume their planning also involved something to knock the boy out. What they used was still a mystery but knowing that whoever had taken Alec had drugged him in some form to keep him quiet and compliant sent a spike of panic through Murdoc. What if the drugging backfired and it harmed Alec or – worse yet – killed him? Feeling the rising rage, Murdoc stepped away, grumbling under his breath as he looked further around the garage. He couldn’t handle much more of this. Here they were, helpless and at the mercy of whoever had taken Alec and Murdoc despised being at anyone’s mercy. Nobody fucked with Murdoc Niccals or those close to him. He knew he wasn’t going to get far running on pure rage and panic and he would need to get himself in check. “We need t’ start goin’ over an’one we know who would be capable of doin’ this, Hailey,” he whispered finally as he dropped into a chair near the work bench area. “I dun’ even know where t’ fuckin’ start, but we need t’ do somethin’.”


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

**Chapter Twenty-One**

Sleep hadn’t come easily, but what little bit of sleep did come had helped. Alicia opened her eyes, recognizing the cold and damp room that she and the boy had been hiding in. Frowning in the dimly lit room, she pushed away the few blankets she’d grabbed from her apartment and sat up. Alec was still asleep, curled in the pile of rags within his character blanket. He’d started crying again last night before finally falling asleep from sheer exhaustion. It had only been when he’d finally stopped crying that she herself had been able to go to sleep. Sleep had been plagued by confusing dreams that she could no longer recall upon waking but at least she felt a bit more rested.

It had just been the two of them the final few hours of the evening, Chloe leaving around the time Alicia had returned with more food for the boy. While Alec had flinched or scooted away any time Chloe moved, he seemed to warm to Alicia to a point. He obviously was still scared and confused about what was happening, but had attached himself to Alicia since she’d admonished Chloe over her treatment of him. As much as she tried to remind herself that the child was an extension of Niccals, another part of her reminded her that the boy was also an extension of his mother, the woman she was trying desperately to get back into her life. She had tried to pull him into some conversation through the evening but he mostly just kept repeating his desire to be returned home. He wanted him Mumma and Da. He didn’t want to be in the cold and scary room anymore. He didn’t want to be around the scary red head lady anymore. Realizing that talking with him would be futile, she’d finally decided it was time to go to sleep. Realizing he was going to be spending another night in the cold room with the unfamiliar people, he had broken down again until finally passing out.

Rising from her sleeping space, she stretched and cracked. Even the blankets and sleeping-bag had done little to change how cold and hard the concrete floors were beneath the worn linoleum. She got to her feet with a huff and quietly went through her purse to locate her phone. More missed calls from Jason along with some texts but little else. She would need to call him back. The one thing she didn’t need was him getting worried and trying to look for her. He hadn’t seen her apartment recently. He was aware of her impromptu search station, but he hadn’t seen it since it was merely a map and a few missing person flyers. Now it was covered with all the weird information and photos Chloe had manage to dig up. Could you imagine the look on his face if he’d seen the walls covered with all those surveillance photos Interpol had taken? He’d probably think she hired a private investigator. Without any dates, there was no telling when the photos were taken and he’d probably assume they were recent snaps. There was only one or two of them with their son when he was an infant and toddler, the rest were solely Niccals and Hailey.

Breaking away from her now rambling thoughts, she dropped her gaze back to the phone screen and the alerts. Call Jason back and let him know things were peachy. He normally left her be other than the occasional out of the blue phone call or text, but he was well aware that she knew the Niccals were in town. He would most likely be on high alert and keeping tabs on her any way he could. He’d assumed – like everyone else – that Hailey had simply left and started a new life. The proof that he and others had been right was asleep not even ten feet away from her. Frowning at her cell, she tapped out a quick message. Generic small talk. All is well. She had work later in the day. She would be working until after eight in the evening. Her gaze traveled to the bundled up little boy at the far side of the room. He would be alone again for the better part of ten hours. She had been relying on his fear to keep him in check but with him warming up to her, even if just a little, it meant that he might become more comfortable exploring the room and possibly getting hurt or – worse yet – killed. Asking Chloe to keep an eye on him was out of the question. One, she would probably tie him to a table leg like a dog and leave him alone to go do whatever. Two, she most likely wouldn’t even agree to it.

Alicia shook her head and dropped into one of the chairs. She had left him alone most of yesterday so today shouldn’t be too much of an issue. He was still asleep currently and there was a good chance he wouldn’t wake for a few more hours. It was already after eight in the morning and she would have to head to her apartment of get ready and go to work in two or three hours. Her position did allow some perks and she could probably wrangle a sixty or ninety minute lunch. That would give her enough time to detour back to the shop and check on him. This way she could make sure he wasn’t getting into trouble.

After pacing around and finally gathering her belongings, Alicia slipped out of the room and secured it to ensure he wouldn’t try to get out. He was still asleep and she could only hope he would remain asleep a little bit longer. Her car was parked around the back of the old empty store and finding it still intact had made her sigh with relief. Wouldn’t that be a kicker, eh? Going upstairs to find her car had been vandalized and stripped down to its frame. Loading up the car and dropped herself into the drivers seat, she looked around to ensure nobody had noticed her. So far, so good. Time to get moving.

The drive was as relaxing as it could be given the late morning traffic. Idling at intersections gave her a chance to think over everything. She had really gone through with it. She had really broken into their home and kidnapped their son. He would only be released if Hailey and the musician followed their demands. They still had yet to get the demands out to them. Chloe recommended giving it a couple of days before laying out the demands so it gives the parents a chance to really sweat it out and panic. Her logic was they would be more willing to cooperate if they were desperate. But what if their cooperation was merely a ruse? Alicia had entertained this thought often enough for it to stick. Even with the threat of prison time, it was possible that Hailey and Murdoc would merely cooperate enough to get their son back and then bounce, never to be seen again. Chloe was confident that threats of getting the authorities involved would make them more apt to follow the instructions but Murdoc had been able to skate for so long there was no telling what Interpol or local police could do. Maybe they didn’t care about the fraudulent papers. He’d lived a normal life for years and had a family. Interpol were well aware that something was off with Hailey and how she ended up a part of his life but they’d left it alone. Some doctored travel documents might not even trigger alarms for them. It was possible the authorities wouldn’t give a damn about Niccals and Hailey and would put their focus on Alicia and Chloe for their crime. Kidnapping a small child in an attempt to blackmail the parents carried much heftier penalties than some fraudulent papers and circumstantial evidence that Hailey had been taken out of Seattle against her will.

Stop it, she told herself. You keep over-thinking and you’re going to end up sabotaging everything. Hailey needed to be back in Seattle where she belonged. Enough bullshit. The boy would be returned to his father only when Hailey acknowledged her place and remained with Alicia. There was no other way. Alicia couldn’t let her emotions interfere with what was right. The boy was merely a means to an end and nothing more. She certainly wouldn’t be cruel to him like Chloe had been, but she could not allow his attachment to his parents to cloud her judgment over what needed to happen. He would mourn the loss of his mother and move on. Niccals would find another woman to fill her place eventually, maybe even right away. All the better if Alicia wanted to ensure Hailey wouldn’t attempt to run off. Convince her that it’s for the best and that trying to bulldoze her way back in would cause more harm to her son than just leaving him be to be raised by his father and whoever the musician got to fill her place. Alec was young enough to forget about Hailey if she could be kept away.

She could only assume she drove from muscle memory alone because she was suddenly pulling into a parking slot in the communal parking garage and shutting the engine down. Had she really spaced off through the drive? Momentarily alarmed, she secured the car and made a jog towards the exit so she could get across the street. There was still a good two hours before she would have to start her shift but she knew between getting ready and traffic that the time would go quickly and she needed to hurry.

Upon reaching her unit, she slipped in and let out a massive huffing sigh, relief washing over her. Every part of her seemed to finally acknowledge she was safe in her home. Moving wobbly-legged towards the kitchen, she dropped her purse on the counter and started to rummage around for something to put in her stomach. She felt woozy and anxious. This was the first time she’d been home since snatching the boy and it felt like everyone in the building knew what she’d done. Fleeting paranoid thoughts of being found out and spied on rattled through her and she veered from the cupboards and started to look around the apartment. What if someone caught on? What if Hailey suspected her and had the police bug her home? She shook her head as she lingered in front of the flat-screen mounted on the wall. No, this was stupid. If the police had any suspicions, they would have contacted her first. They wouldn’t just let themselves in and bug her home. Uttering a chuckle, she resumed foraging for something to snack on so she could eat quickly and then start getting ready.

Discovering a bag of cherries in the fridge, she grabbed the entire bag and wandered towards her room. Opening her door, she froze mid-step, letting her eyes travel down the hallway to the closed door that had once been Hailey’s room. She hadn’t stepped foot in the bedroom for several years, the last time maybe a year after Hailey had vanished. She’d gone in only once or twice in the hopes of finding something that might have been a clue as to what had become of Hailey. Very little of the room had been disturbed. Willing herself towards the door, she turned the knob and opened it up. After being closed up for several years, there was a cold and musty smell to it. She could even see the fine layer of dust that covered Hailey’s shelves and desk. It had been left as is since the last time Hailey had been in there. The bed still unmade from when the musician had been there. Stepping carefully into the room, she looked around at items that she knew Hailey had once cherished. Something else struck her, something that nagged at her. Though nothing about the room appeared to have changed, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the room had been disturbed at some point. Had someone been in here unbeknownst to her? The mere idea seemed ridiculous but it was hard to shake the weird feeling that someone had indeed been in the room. Nothing appeared out of place, though. Everything was as it had been left. Journal on the desk, some of the collectible figures sitting on a shelf a row of comics and Manga books all lined by by title, genre and even size.

The bed was unmade and even covered in a fine layer of dust. She could no longer smell Hailey’s familiar body spray or even the faint hint of cologne or aftershave that had indicated the presence of the musician and this sent a weird stabbing pain of sadness. The room was officially an altar to the dead. Little more than a shrine dedicated to someone lost. She turned to the closet, opening it up and scanning over the row of clothing that had been abandoned. The same weird feeling crept through her. Had someone been in here going through things? Maybe it had been Jason, though she couldn’t imagine his reasons. The row of neatly hung up clothing looked no different than the last time she’d looked at it, just like the room itself, but just like the room, there was a weird feeling that someone had been in there.

Alicia took a breath and went over the row of clothing carefully, scanning from right to left. The blouses and carefully hung slacks turned to jeans and a few t-shirts. She reached out and moved some of the work clothing aside, revealing the denims and various casual shirts. Several shirts were recognized – a couple of anime tees, two Linkin Park shirts Hailey had purchased at their actual concerts, a few random character tees from some favored cartoons Hailey had loved – but Alicia couldn’t shake the feeling that a couple were missing. Didn’t Hailey have a shirt from a movie she’d liked and another for a comic she’d collected? Alicia had seen Hailey wear those often enough when they’d still been room mates, the two shirts a main staple of Hailey’s casual wardrobe. The last time Alicia had been in the room, she was certain she’d seen them folded up neatly on the shelf above and now she only counted a couple of shirts and neither one revealed itself as the missing articles. Her brow furrowed as she took a step back and examined the closet in its entirety. Things were indeed missing. Had they been missing this whole time? Had she merely imagined seeing the shirts in question?

Her focus fell to the shelf of collectibles and comics. The lowest shelves had a few things set up and though too many years of dust had built up, she could see spots where some things had been and were now gone. Areas that clearly had a few less layers of dust. She knelt down to get a closer look, feeling her agitation rise when she realized that items were actually missing. She’d gone through this room carefully those few times she’d been in there and she’d had no reason to remove anything. But someone had been in here and that someone had probably taken things. Had Hailey come back at some point to retrieve some belongings? If that were the case, why not take the figures at the top of her shelf or the first row of comics two shelves down from the figurines? Those had been her most cherished of collectibles. Unless the items were intentionally chosen because they’d escape notice. This irritated Alicia even more. Would Hailey had been so callous as to literally waltz back into the old apartment to retrieve things and not even leave an indication that she’d been by? It had been confirmed that the Niccals had been coming back to the city on and off over the last five years so it wasn’t a huge stretch to assume Hailey had indeed come back to the apartment. She took one last look around the room, unable to shake her rising anger. It was bad enough to find out that Hailey had been alive and actively avoiding her but to find out she’d most likely come back to the apartment and just let herself in as if she’d never been gone was almost too much. Too cowardly to even wait for Alicia to be home and knock! No, she just had to let herself in while Alicia had been at work and went through her room. Given the laws, could she claim Hailey trespassed and that the items taken were stolen? Legally, they were Alicia’s at this point. The only problem was she had no idea when this had happened and if she’d told the police that she herself hadn’t stepped in the bedroom in the better part of four years, they could easily just say there was nothing they could do.

There was also the fact that the room had remained untouched for years. A dust layered shrine to the person the room had once belonged to. Close friends had already pointed out their concern when it was revealed that she’d left Hailey’s room as is. There had been times through the years that she’d seriously considered boxing things up and at least putting them into storage but she could never bring herself to do it. But now she was angry and feeling even more betrayed by the realization that Hailey had probably slipped right in, taken what she’d felt she needed and simply had slipped back out, vanishing once again. Still glowering around the room, she finally exited and shut the door behind her. What a sneaky and conniving little bitch. After everything Alicia had done for Hailey in her efforts to help her, she threw it all back in her face and to add insult to injury, even came and went in the apartment as if to rub it in Alicia’s face.

It took Alicia a moment to realize she’d been clenching her fists so tight that her nails were biting into her palms. She had to take a deep breath and relax. Get ready and get to work and then get back to that shopfront to make sure the boy stayed out of trouble. Though it could easily be paranoia on her part, she was now convinced that Hailey had indeed come back to the apartment at some point and had taken whatever she’d sought without so much as a whisper in Alicia’s direction. Just more proof that Hailey wasn’t stable enough. She went back for some stupid comic shirts and toys. Not for anything that could be useful or needed, stupid shit that she could have easily replaced. Fucking hell, quit thinking about it because she would just get angrier and angrier. Get showered, get ready and head to work. Once she was off the clock, get her ass back to the shop across town and make sure the boy didn’t get into trouble. Reach out to Chloe and start the next step of the plan.

******************************************

Was this what death felt like? Was it this soul crushing and powerful? Strong enough to bring Hailey down into the deepest, darkest depths of fear and uncertainty that she hadn’t felt in decades? As cliché as it sounded, it felt like a part of her was missing. Now she understood what some women meant when they spoke of their children. To think that she’d actually mocked them in her younger years! Nothing she’d faced in her life was even close to the pain she was feeling in these moments. Not knowing where Alec was. Not knowing who had taken him. Just not knowing! It had been a day and a half now and they were still no closer to finding out who was behind this. Surely they should have received word by now! What were the kidnappers waiting for, the fucking rapture? Taking a shaky breath, Hailey gritted her teeth against the sob that threatened. She couldn’t lose control. If they were to get to the people who had taken Alec from them, she would need to keep herself calm and in check.

Murdoc had gone to the gallery to talk more with Stu and Noodle about what was going on. She’d also overheard him on the phone and if she was gauging the one sided conversation right, Russel and Kylie would be flying in from New York later today. Everyone was coming together to help them and she couldn’t be more grateful. Though both Stu and Noodle had stressed the need for police involvement, they both understood the reasons why neither Murdoc or Hailey were on board with that. Russel could very well echo their concerns and want the police involved. Hell, he might even beat them all to it and call the authorities on his way over. She couldn’t imagine him going against their wishes and trying to force their hand in the matter, but this wasn’t just some new scheme Murdoc was cooking up either. This was a serious crime and most would insist professionals become involved. She could only hope that the few who knew wouldn’t let word get out. They needed to keep this under wraps as much as possible.

She didn’t want to think about what would happen if the media caught on and then it was revealed that they hadn’t bothered to contact the authorities. Any chances of tracking down those responsible and getting Alec back would slip straight through their fingers. There would be investigations, prosecutions, Murdoc’s career would be destroyed. It felt criminal to even consider these thoughts but she couldn’t help it. The chain reaction all of this would be devastating for them in more ways than one. They would lose Alec and everything else along with him. It made it all the more crucial that they alone be the ones to track down their son and they needed to do so before Interpol or some journalist caught wind of it. She had no idea just how they planned to do this but they would figure it out. It was all they could do.

The house felt so cold and empty. She’d wandered from room to room, unsure of destination or reason. She just needed to move around, to think and try to go over every little detail. Nothing stood out. The person behind the kidnapping has clearly been casing the house and had ensured they could re-enter the property when it came time to snatch Alec. They had both felt like something had violated their home but couldn’t figure out just what it was that had triggered their alarms. With nothing being taken and the house still mostly secure, they’d both talked each other down from their unified anxiety and it eventually was brushed off as paranoia. Murdoc had been no saint and they’d gone through the years acutely aware that they were being watched on and off. Their lives had become so monotonous and dull that they’d often joked that their case was probably the one Interpol assigned to agents who were fuck ups that nobody liked. This thought once again brought a strained smile to her face. Whichever sap unfortunate enough to be saddled with their case would probably be shitting themselves if word came in that crazy shit was afoot. As horrible as it felt to laugh, she couldn’t help it. It was either laugh or cry at this point and she’d cried enough tears over the past thirty hours to fill a lifetime so laugh she would.

All she wanted was to find Alec and then bolt out of this city once and for all. She didn’t want to ever come back. She’d gladly sell off the townhouse, even if they took a loss on it. This was something they’d been discussing at length over the last day and a half. Talk of what their plans were once they’d recovered Alec. There was no_ if _they got their boy back, it was always _when_. From there it was where to start in tying up the loose ends that connected them to Seattle. What bank accounts did they need to close out? How quickly could they get their belongings moved out and put the townhouse on the market? They were also in deep discussion over how to handle the person or people responsible for taking Alec. Both had agreed it would depend on numerous factors. If it was one of the groups Murdoc had crossed, they would have to get back home to reorganize before striking back. If it was something less elaborate, they’d handle it then and there before bouncing. They’d both agreed that once they shot clear of Seattle, they’d never step foot in this stinking city ever again.

Some how she’d managed to find her way back to the living room area. She couldn’t even remember heading downstairs and yet she was now standing near the sofa only just realizing that she’d been so lost in her thoughts that she’d managed to traverse most of the townhouse. Quite the feat with all the random things they had laying around. Her eyes dropped to the floor, spying one of Alec’s toy cars under the small table that sat beside the sofa. Seeing the little cast iron PT Cruiser brought a sting in the eyes and tightness in her throat. Aside from his plush puppy, the toy car was one of his favorites. Matter of fact, he’d been playing with it on the floor just before they’d gotten him ready for bed on the very night he’d been taken. Chewing her lower lip, she stared at the car for a long moment, wondering if she should pick it up and bring it to his room. It wasn’t out in the way for them to step on and trip over. It was neatly under the table where Alec had left it after proclaiming that the table was now a garage.

Christ, what if they never find him? As much as she fought against those thoughts, it didn’t take long for them to consume her. Finally hearing the whispers of doubt and the biggest fear they both had – never being able to find who did this and never getting Alec back. These kinds of things happened. Kids kidnapped from their very homes and never found or found years later in altered states. What if whoever took him killed him? What if his kidnapping had darker intentions and he was being shipped around the country to fulfill some animal’s jollies? Once she allowed the thoughts to invade, there was no stopping them and all she could see was Alec’s horrified and tear stained face as shadow monsters loomed over him. He was probably fucking terrified right now! He’d never spent a night away from Hailey and Murdoc or his favorite blankie and plushie. He was most likely scared and confused. Probably crying for them. What little resolve Hailey had managed to build was now threatening to crumble. She couldn’t let the darker thoughts take over because she’d come apart completely. They had to remain convinced that they would find him and get him back and make those responsible suffer. They were no closer to finding out who was behind this and neither of them were a hundred percent confident that they would be able to figure it out. This was either done by someone they’d crossed or it was a random kidnapping with other motives and neither Murdoc or Hailey wanted to think about what those other motives might be.

Steeling herself against the new wave of agony, she grabbed her cigarettes and ventured out to the balcony. She wanted to see the alley again and go over every area. It felt like they’d gone through it all a million times over, but she just wanted one last look to ensure without a doubt that nothing had been overlooked. It was all she could do at this point. She couldn’t go anywhere since Murdoc had taken the rental and even if she did have a means to leave the townhouse, they’d both agreed that it was best at least one person remained at the house in case someone showed up with demands. Their backyard still looked no different than the last time, the trampled grass from the kidnapper’s escape followed by Murdoc’s own rush across the yard were now barely visible. Smoking her cigarette, she let her eyes travel around the alley, focusing on the nearly hidden dumpster at the end of the alley, the dumpster where they’d found Alec’s plush puppy. Other than mud and some gravel, the plushie was salvageable and Hailey had made a point to wash it up and get it clean and fresh. Though she’d carried it around most of the previous day and even some part of the recent morning, she’d finally set it back onto Alec’s bed, which had been cleaned and laid out with fresh linens. It had taken her several hours of of scrubbing to get the urine stain out of the mattress and there’d even been thoughts of just replacing it outright but no point in wasting money on a brand new mattress if they were only going to be at the townhouse another day or two once they recovered Alec.

The alley had a few people wandering through it, all people Hailey recognized to some degree. People that lived in their neighborhood and the neighborhood behind them. She could even see the wife from that threesome they’d eagerly watched a few nights ago walking towards her garage to toss a bag into the rubbish bin. Life was simply carrying on, nobody aware of what was happening in their little universe. Kids were outside on their bikes, joggers were passing through and all the other yards other than next door had kids playing. They’d been lucky enough to avoid anyone noticing Alec missing, but how much longer would it escape notice? Since they were only ever in the townhouse a few weeks at a time and never more than once or twice a year, most people rarely knew them beyond simply cordial hello’s. Even with Murdoc’s celebrity status, people were kind enough to give them space. But this also led to another dilemma and it was the fact that they were alone in this hell. Alec was missing and nobody around her knew what the hell was going on. One of the neighbor kids riding their bike even waved at her which prompted a reflexive wave back.

Why was she standing there useless? Why weren’t they scouring the city? How hard was it to hide a four year old little boy with a British accent in an American city? They needed to be out looking for him, right? Not wandering around the townhouse in a daze because neither of them knew what to do. Every time she heard something near the front door, she would frantically fall over herself to see if it was someone dropping off the ransom letter. What if there was no ransom, though? What if this act was done to simply terrorize them and break them? The idea that someone had stolen their son merely to fuck with them sent another stab of pain. How could they do that to a little boy? Never mind their state of mind, what about Alec? Did they not care about how this would affect him? Okay, now she was being stupid. Obviously whoever was behind this didn’t give a shit about Alec or the long term effects this would have. If they did, they wouldn’t have taken him to begin with. The issue was the motive. They did not know what the motive was. Was this a random kidnapping or was it something more intricate in an effort to get to her or Murdoc? Whatever it was, it was certainly working. Neither she nor Murdoc could seem to think straight and it was clear that they were both winging it.

She needed to get out of this fucking house. She wanted to be out and searching the maze of streets. She would look as far as she could. She would check every corner, every dark and abandoned warehouse, ever stoop. She needed to be out there. Sitting here and going mental was not productive. Waves of pain were soon replaced with waves of rage. Maybe it was both? Each wave felt like an electric charge through her body. Waves that were practically synced with her heartbeat. Beat, ripple, beat, ripple. It felt empowering. It felt indestructible. Her eyes were now scanning with focus. Why was that jogger out? Who was that person? The kinky couple across the alley – where did their plus one come from? Who was the owner of that unfamiliar car parked at the mouth of the alley? Whispers of reason kept insisting that looking at their neighborhood with growing suspicion accomplished nothing. Why would the people responsible for taking Alec keep him so close? It was ridiculous to even entertain such an idea. Alec was nowhere near here and she knew this. But it didn’t change the fact that she needed to be out of the house. She needed to be out in the city. She needed to search. She’d search all day, all night and the following day. She wouldn’t stop until she found him and she’d take down any obstacle that stood between her and her son.

From below her, the motor to the automatic garage opener sprang to life, startling her out of her wandering and frantic thoughts. Good, he was home. Now they needed to get back out on the road. They needed to drive around and look. Park it and look. Just fucking _look_. Still lingering on the patio, she drummed her fingers impatiently waiting for Murdoc to come upstairs to the main level. He emerged from the garage, Hailey momentarily taken aback at his appearance. He seemed even more haggard and unkempt than before. He hadn’t shaved in a few days, his face now covered in shaggy black and silver stubble. They regarded each other a long moment before Murdoc made a noise and detoured towards the fridge. “Have you heard from Russ yet?” he asked as he pulled a fresh bottle of beer from the fridge.

Hailey shook her head as she dropped down into one of the patio chairs. “Nothing yet. I didn’t think we would hear from him until later anyway. His flight comes in tonight, yeah?”

“Err, yeah,” he muttered as he uncapped the bottle and flicked the cap towards the bin. “He’s supposed t’ call once he lands. Told him t’ get a rental because we were tryin’ not t’ leave the house unless necessary.” He stepped out through the slider, looking around at the alley that stretched behind them. “Feels criminal just sittin’ here, Poppet, but I dunno what t’ do. Should we go out an’ look ‘round? Drive ‘round an’ see if we spot an’thin’ wonky?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Hailey passed him a cigarette as he sat down in the chair next to her. He let out an exhausted sigh and reached out to grasp her hand. Saying nothing, she gave his hand a squeeze in response. Wasn’t much more to say at that point. They could try to go out, but there was a risk of missing out if the people responsible tried to contact them. Neither were willing to be the one to remain home. There was no having to voice that, it was an unspoken truth between them. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense to go out. Both of them. It would be better to have that second set of eyes anyway, right? Just cruise through the entire grid that made of downtown Seattle. She wasn’t entirely sure where they could start, but they could always figure that out once they were on the road. Letting out a sigh of her own, she stubbed out her cigarette. “We could head out and look around. If anyone comes by the house, they won’t announce their presence obviously. They’ll just drop off a letter outlining whatever the plan is.” She slowly got to her feet and stretched. “I can’t stay here wondering, Murdoc. I need to get out there and look. We need to find him.”

His gaze was on the bottle of beer in his hand. If he was worried about having beer on his breath, she could always drive. He chewed his lip, eyes flickering up to meet her face. She couldn’t remember any time before this where he looked so aged. One would think it had been years instead of mere days. Dark bloodshot eyes scanned her over carefully. He was thinking about it. Good, don’t think too long. Let’s just do it. Sighing again, he set the bottle aside and stubbed out his half-smoked cigarette. “Let’s do this.”


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

Tucked away in a corner booth by the window, Chloe scanned the busy and cluttered street. It was a little bourgeois cafe that served overpriced everything and the wait staff expected a solid twenty percent tip. None of this mattered to Chloe as she could afford it. It was a good way to keep an eye on that decrepit wannabe BoHo art gallery run by Niccals’ old band-mates. She’d hoped she could find some dirt on the remaining band members but had come up empty handed. The singer and guitarist had come back squeaky clean with only a few small gaps in their where-abouts. They’d purchased the gallery a few years back and had kept a low profile. The grand opening had attracted some fanfare and even a rumor that Niccals had attended the gala, but otherwise not much else. The gallery certainly attracted quite a few visitors and Chloe had spotted Niccals a few times going in there. She had been a little taken aback at how rough he looked the last time she’d spotted him. There’d been no hiding the dark circles under his eyes or the silver beard on his face. Taking the boy had done exactly what she’d wanted. Another day or two and he would no doubt break.

She’d been sitting at the window seat now for the better part of a hour and had yet to catch sight of Niccals or the gutter-rat. She’d seen the blue haired one go in and out and even the very pregnant guitarist, but so far not a whisper of Niccals or Wilson. Given how often she’d seen Niccals coming and going out of the gallery, she figured he would have shown up by now. Maybe he already had stopped by?

Eyes still fixed on the road, she took a bite from her sandwich and made a quick cursory check of her phone. No word yet from anyone regarding Niccals. She’d been correct in her assumption that the Niccals wouldn’t go to the police. So far, after two days, there’d been not a single whisper of a missing child. The police scanner proved this as well as her own internal contact within the police department itself. The contact within the police department had expressed alarm when it was discovered that she was waiting to hear about a missing four year old. It had taken a lot of promises to ensure the old coot kept their mouth shut. Under no circumstances were they to alert the department that a child was missing and the parents had yet to call the police. This definitely proved that the Niccals were shadier than they looked. She’d been correct about Hailey’s immigration paperwork and possibly correct in her belief that Niccals himself wasn’t as squeaky clean as he presented himself. Though she’d found nothing other than past exploits and Hailey’s fraudulent immigration paperwork, Alicia had mentioned them possessing a gun and the gun being fitted with a silencer. Given Niccals’ numerous run-ins with the law through the years, it wasn’t too hard to assume he’d been barred from being able to legally own a weapon in the U.S. and Hailey wouldn’t risk an in depth background check with her forged paperwork. There was little doubt in Chloe’s mind that the gun was unregistered and possibly even hot. The suppressor was a pretty smart addition, especially if using the gun became necessary and you didn’t want to attract any attention to yourselves.

The issue with the gun had alarmed Alicia and well, that was a given right? Niccals could have easily shot her down as she was attempting to flee with the boy. Chloe originally had planned on being there as a driver but other things had taken priority so Alicia was left to get the boy and get away on her own. It worked better that way because Chloe wasn’t interested in being an immediate part of the plan. If things went to shit and the authorities did crash their little plan, all the better that Chloe keep far away from it. What little evidence linked her to the crime itself was mostly circumstantial since her father owned numerous properties all over Seattle and you couldn’t throw a stick without hitting one. There was the chance of Alicia dropping her name, but with her only link being the property Alicia hid the boy in, it wouldn’t be too difficult to lawyer up and ensure that Alicia alone took the fall for it. It would be Alicia’s fingerprints all over the Niccals’ house and it would be Alicia located with the boy. Once Chloe contacted the police about Niccals and the gutter-rat, it would come crashing down for all of them, wouldn’t it? Alicia would get swept up into it and Chloe could watch from the sidelines as everyone went down. She alone would be the one left standing while their worlds came crashing down around them.

A devious smile spread across Chloe’s face as she shoved her now empty plate aside and finished her coffee. She truly had outdone herself. Being able to kick the gutter-rat back where she belonged while being able to lord over her with losing everything, her family included. And to think all she originally wanted to do was get back at Wilson and it had evolved into something much more grand. Sure, it was a bit complicated to say nothing of illegal, but Wilson deserved it after costing her a good job and daring to believe that she was equal to her.

Chloe got to her feet and left some cash plus enough to cover the ridiculous twenty percent tip. It was pushing late afternoon and she had not yet seen either of the Niccals go near the gallery. It was possible she’d already missed them or they were not planning on going there today. No big deal, she could check again later or the following day. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of something that made her take pause as she gathered her remaining belongings. It had been a black vehicle parking across the way, the driver’s hair catching her attention. White blond hair and dainty features. Raising her eyes to the window, she felt the floor come out from under her when she saw Alicia parking the car and turning to the backseat to talk to a blanket wrapped bundle whose head barely came above the window.

“Oh my fucking god,” she moaned, rushing out of the cafe. Hitting the sidewalk, she shot towards the end of the block and all but ran across the road. Was the woman trying to get herself caught? It was like she wasn’t even trying to keep the boy hidden. Why else would she park her fucking car on the same side as the gallery with the Niccals’ boy in the backseat? “Are you fucking insane!” Chloe hissed as she shoved Alicia back into the car. Slamming the driver’s side door, she darted around and leaped into the passenger seat. As soon as the boy laid eyes on her, he uttered a whimper and huddled down further beneath the blanket he was wrapped in. Her focus wasn’t the child, though. It was the fucking moron who actually brought a _kidnapped child _out into the open outside a shop where the parents’ friends came and went. “_Jesus Christ, Alicia, have you lost your __goddamned __mind_?”

Alicia merely stared at her with glassy and tear-filled eyes. Sniffing loudly, she restarted the car and pulled out into the street. “He cut himself really bad, Chloe. You said you were casing the gallery so that’s why we’re here. We need to take him to a doctor. I think it needs stitches.”

She turned to look at the boy again, who extended a sloppily bandaged hand that had stained the fabric a brilliant red. He unwrapped it slowly and revealed a pretty nasty looking cut across his palm. It was a deep gash and probably did require medical attention but what exactly was Alicia planning on telling them? “We get something to clean the wound and bandage it up,” she said in a matter of fact tone. “You can’t seriously believe you’ll be able to actually get him to a doctor for this, do you? They will know something is up right away!”

Tears spilling over her cheeks, Alicia shook her head. “We can just say he’s ours, can’t we?”

Chloe erupted into a barking, humorless laugh. “Don’t you think they’re gonna wonder what’s up when two American women bring in a child with a British accent? C’mon now, Alicia, you’re not that stupid, are you?” She could feel her irritation rising as Alicia continued to cry silently. “Seriously, Ali, the boy has an accent, he will be able to tell the doc something isn’t right and even if we could convince him to stay quiet or lie, the doctor is gonna wonder why he’s in 3 day old pajamas that reek of piss.”

“This was a bad idea,” Alicia whispered. “This was a really bad idea, Chloe. Let’s just drop him off in a shop near by near the gallery. We can’t do this. We haven’t even attempted to contact his parents with the demands yet. When is that going to happen?”

Her rising panic only irritated Chloe more. The woman was in too deep to pussy out now. No way was Chloe going to trash this plan and give the boy back without finishing this once and for all. Alicia was silently crying as the car cruised at a snail’s pace through after work traffic. Chloe rolled down her window and lit a cigarette. “Not happening,” she said finally, exhaling smoke. “We see this thru.”

“Hailey’s been back to the apartment,” she said suddenly. “I don’t know when, but she’s definitely been there. Things were missing.” A low sob erupted from her as she wiped at her eyes and tried to keep her focus on the road. “She actually came back, let herself in and took things without even bothering to let me know she’d been there.”

Chloe had to bite her lip against the laughter that threatened. So Alicia was going off the rails all because she found out Hailey had invaded the apartment to retrieve some belongings? Alicia had kept the woman’s belongings for five years in the hopes she would return? This thought made Chloe take pause. She’d seen the dining room search center Alicia had set up but had not seen anything in the apartment that hinted it had once belonged to the gutter-rat. Were the woman’s belongings boxed up in what had once been her old bedroom? How would Alicia notice something was missing unless... “You never cleared her room, did you?” she asked finally. “It was still set up with her stuff.”

Alicia nodded her head. “Considered boxing it up at one point, but couldn’t bring myself to do it. I wanted to make sure it was the way she left it in case she did come back.” She sniffed again, more tears starting to fall as she steered the sedan down a side road that was unfamiliar to Chloe. Parking the car in a parallel spot, Alicia shut the engine down. “Why did I let him interfere?” she whispered in a strained whine. “I should have put my foot down and forced him to stay away. He took her away, changed her, turned her against me.”

Scanning around the unfamiliar area, Chloe put out her cigarette and shook her head. “Don’t come apart on me now, Ali. She doesn’t see what’s happening, not like we can. We both know he’s manipulating her and controlling her, right?” Fuck it all, she knew this sounded like horse-shit but she needed to reel Hunter back in and keep her in line. Alicia was too soft to pull this off without someone there to control the strings, that was obvious now. She was going to get them both caught if she kept flaking and dragging the boy out and about where he could be seen. “Keep your head on straight, woman, before you land both of us in prison.”

“I just want my best friend back!” Alicia wailed loudly through a new flood of tears. “How could she go back to the apartment and not bother letting me know? Did she think I would never notice?” Her face crumpled as she started sobbing loudly. She dropped her head against the steering wheel, the words almost unintelligible over her sobs. “What are we gonna do, Chloe? The boy needs stitches. We still haven’t figured out how we’re going to reach out to Hailey and Murdoc.”

“Let’s go to my place,” Chloe hissed through an annoyed sigh. “You know where it’s at, right? Off Blanchard.” She knew it was stupid dragging both the weeping mess and the boy back to her apartment but she needed to get them both off the street and somewhere she could get Alicia calm. Maybe it was a mistake getting involved in this? Alicia was a bit more unstable than she honestly had thought. Torn between wanting her best friend back and wanting to hurt the person she saw responsible for the falling out. Fuck it all to hell, she should have steered clear of Alicia or made sure her involvement was as minimal as possible. Wasn’t she just thinking about all of this? Now she was riding in a car with the woman responsible and the very child she’d kidnapped. If anyone who knew the Niccals spotted them together and possibly even caught sight of the boy in the car, everything she worked for would fall apart through her fingers. Get them both back to her place so she could regroup and then send them both back to the warehouse district across town where the old shop was.

Though it had taken a bit more urging than Chloe was comfortable with, Alicia finally started the car and got back on the road. After a few turns, she finally recognized the area and knew her place wasn’t too far off. It was in a part of downtown that was full of pricey high rise apartment buildings and plenty of fun little shops and eateries. Alicia was silent, staring ahead with red and wet eyes. Directing her softly but firmly to pull into the underground parking garage off Blanchard, she slowed to a crawl before finally parking in a slot reserved for guests. Instructing Alicia to carry the boy, they made their way across the garage to the elevators. Chloe dug around her bag until she found the key card, swiping it and punching in her floor. The boy was blessedly silent through all of this, watching them both with massive green eyes. He was scared of Chloe and she was perfectly okay with this. She wasn’t in this to be the boy’s friend. He was little more than an extension of the trash her father had warned her about. Pathetic charity cases that constantly kept their hand out for more while breeding indiscriminately and those children just continuing the cycle. He would be just like his parents. Sure he was blessed to be born in upper class comfort, but it was all a sham, as far as Chloe was concerned. He would end up being low life trash just like his parents.

The trek to her apartment unit was obscured by a neighbor who was heading out of his apartment and was curious about the bundle in Alicia’s arms. Alicia stared at the man with saucer sized eyes, not a single word coming from her mouth. Chloe could only imagine how it must have looked to the old coot. The blanket the boy was wrapped in was as filthy as his pajamas and while they were both accustomed to the smell, she didn’t doubt that the neighbor could smell the piss emanating from them both. “Just my nephew,” Chloe said curtly as she unlocked her door and dragged Alicia through it. “Emergency placement. Sorry, can’t chat. Bye now.” Flashing another quick smile at the neighbor, she shut the door abruptly and slumped against the door. From behind her, she heard Alicia exhale loudly. She chanced a glance over her shoulder and cringed when Alicia set Alec down onto the floor. The boy let the filthy blanket drop, looking around the apartment with curiosity. Chloe sneered at the filthy state of the boy and the blanket, gesturing at Alicia to pick the blanket up. Bad enough having them in here would stink the place up, she didn’t want to deal with piss and filth stained blankets touching her property. Sighing, she made her way to the kitchen and rummaged around the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water and some half eaten leftover Chinese take-out. Shoving them across the kitchen island towards Alicia and the boy, she gestured in Alec’s direction. “Give him these to eat.”

“Thank you,” Alec whispered meekly, taking the carton of food and water bottle. He looked around slowly, spotting her dining table on the other side of the kitchen island and made his way over.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Chloe warned, glaring at both of them. “You both will be on your way back to that shop soon.” Spying the boy’s poorly bandaged hand, she sighed again and gestured for Alicia to follow her. “I have some first aid stuff in the bathroom. Get that disgusting cut cleaned up before he ends up spreading infection everywhere.” The sooner they got the cut addressed the sooner she could get them out of her place. And the sooner she could get them out, the better. It would mean riding with them back to the cafe and gallery where her car was parked, but that was a small inconvenience. Getting them out and away from her apartment was paramount at this point.

Alicia took the peroxide, Neosporen and bandages from her and the two ventured down the short hall to the kitchen. Alec was still seated at the table, shoveling great heaping forkfuls of chow mein noodles and chicken katsu into his mouth. Chloe wondered briefly if Alicia had bothered to feed the boy at all today. She remembered seeing Happy Meal boxes at the old shop but that had been the day before. Alicia sunk down into a chair flanking the boy, scrubbing her hands across her face and groaning. “I just feel like we’re in over our heads.”

“We _are_ in over our heads, Alicia,” Chloe muttered dismissively and she dropped into the seat opposite of Alicia. “This was supposed to be a simple plan and you had to complicate matters more by dragging the boy out into the open. What happened to both of us agreeing that he needed to remain at the shop until we deliver him to his father?”

Alec perked his head up, staring at Chloe with wary eyes. “You gonna give me back t’ mah Da? When can I go back t’ mah Da? An’ what ‘bout Mumma? I want mah Mumma too.”

“Your mother won’t be coming back,” Chloe said sharply, sneering at the boy. “She doesn’t want you anymore and is gonna stay here with us after you and your Dad leave.” She could feel Alicia’s eyes boring into her, but allowed her sneer to spread into a cruel smile. “You were a mistake to her, kid. A big mistake.” Clearly the boy wasn’t expecting the response he got, his eyes shimmering with fresh tears that started to spill over his cheeks. Chloe smirked, rising from the table to get herself a bottle of water. She could hear him slowly breaking down, soft whimpers turning into thin and strained sobs. She had no reason to sugar-coat shit with the boy. It was – in a way – the truth. He would be returned to his father and his mother would leave them behind.

Alicia was on her feet as the boy silently sobbed into his food. “Was that necessary?”

“No,” she snorted as she uncapped a water bottle, “but it is entertaining. Surprised you haven’t already been filling his little head with shit. Does he know what kind of degenerate his father is? Did you tell him how he loved hurting people?”

“My Da isn’t a dee...dej...generate!” Alec snapped back defiantly, now glaring at them both through his tears. “He fixed mah bike. He makes Mumma laugh. He took me t’ the creek an’ we went fishin’! He sings me Ziggy Stah-dust! He’s a good Da!”

Alicia shook her head. “You don’t know him like we do, Alec! He took your mom away from us and turned her against us. He’s a bad man. A very bad man. He hurt a lot of people, your Mom included. We’re trying to help her and the only way she can be helped is if we get him away from her.”

Alec stared at them both with red and wet eyes, sniffing as he pushed his food away. “You’re not gonna take mah Mumma ‘way from me. I won’t let you. Mah Da won’t let you!” He was trying to sound tough, but the strain was definitely there. More tears continued to fall as he grabbed the water bottle and took another drink, still glaring daggers at Chloe and Alicia. “You try t’ take mah Mumma an’ Da will kick your arse!”

Now this was not what Chloe expected. The little shit had some balls for only being four. He was at their mercy and too young to fight back and here he was talking shit! “Big words coming from a little man,” she chuckled, snatching away the remaining food and water. “You think your Mom wants to stay with you and your father? She’s been planning to leave for a while, boy. That’s why she had us take you. So when your father finally cracks, he will agree to whatever we want. And your mother wants to stay here with us and never see you or your piece of shit father again.”

Alec shook his head as more tears fell. “Mumma isn’t leavin’! She told me ‘bout an old mate of hers who hurt her. Said she was a cunt. I bet it was you!”

Still chucking, Chloe grabbed a hooded jacket. “I was never your Mom’s friend, boy. I’m just here to remind her where she belongs and help Ali here get her to stay with us. I’m sure when they have to pick between splitting up to get you back or going to prison and losing you forever, they will choose to split up. Degenerate trash always pick the easy way out.” She grabbed another hoodie and tossed it towards Alicia. “I don’t want anyone spotting us together with the boy. When we drive back to my car, keep the hoods up. And drop me off around the block. I’m not taking any fucking chances now that you’ve fucked this whole thing up, Hunter.”

******************************************

Murdoc smoked his cigarette in brooding silence. He was leaning against the wall just outside the gallery waiting on Stu so they could walk the grid a bit and talk. He just needed to hear his thoughts aloud and Stu was a good sounding board. He felt helpless and he fucking loathed feeling helpless. The last time he’d felt this helpless had been when the pirates had located them at the Plastic Beach. Overwhelmed and out-gunned, they’d found themselves backed into a corner they couldn’t escape and everyone had been looking to him for solutions which he didn’t have. He’d damned near come apart at the seams during those nightmarish minutes. Luck alone had been what saved them. Nothing but pure fucking dumb luck. A cosmic _holy shit_ moment that had spared them all certain death. He could sure use some more of that luck right about now. A phone call with demands. A letter even. Anything that might tell him who had Alec and that his boy was unharmed. That wasn’t too much of an ask, was it? But no, he would get no such reprieve. Stuck waiting and wondering. No idea if Alec was even alive.

Both he and Hailey had picked each other’s brains for hours over any potential enemies that could be responsible for taking their son. Just as he’d expected, his list was miles longer than hers. And she just threw down a few names of people she knew hated her guts. Some bloke from college and that cunt co-worker she’d throat punched several years ago. Neither of them – in her opinion – were high on her list of possible suspects because the college dude was apparently a successful osteopath now and the cunt co-worker would never get her hands dirty like this. His list stretched an entire page. He still had never gotten things settled officially with the Black Clouds and there were also various individuals he may or may not have robbed and/or ripped off some years back both before and after Gorillaz. Though Hailey was well aware he had some troubles in his past, he could tell by the look on her face in those moments that she hadn’t anticipated such a lengthy list from him. The snide remark that passed her lips had felt like a punch in the gut. “A fucking essay? Why am I not surprised?” It had taken everything in his power to keep him from running his mouth. Why act so shocked? She’d been there when the Black Clouds had attacked Point Nemo. They’d almost killed her along with him and the Face-Ache. She knew Interpol had been trailing him for years. So why feel the fucking need to even make such a remark when they were both on the same team here? She knew damned well he wasn’t a saint and neither was she. Pricked by her words, he’d simply walked away from her and went upstairs to hide in the little office. He wasn’t about to admit that her remark had hurt him. As if she were solely blaming him for what happened to their son.

A heavy sigh escaped from him as he pinched the cigarette out and tossed it into the rubbish bin a few feet away from him. Alec could be anywhere by now. It had been two days. He could very well be across the country. Murdoc didn’t want to allow those thoughts to invade but he couldn’t help it. They were facing the very real possibility of never seeing their son again. He could even be somewhere across the globe. It might be years before they find him. He frowned, gritting his teeth against the flush of fresh emotion that threatened his resolve. If the man downstairs thought this was the easiest way to get him to crack, he was certainly right, but Murdoc wasn’t going to give the deity the benefit of seeing him completely break. Alec was alive and he was still somewhere in the city. They’d extend their holiday visas to continue looking. He’d contact the suits at the network to let them know he would need a bit more time getting that new material to them. If they had to remain stateside for years to find their boy, they’d fucking do it.

Laughing bitterly, he lit another cigarette. He probably looked an absolute fright to those passing through on the sidewalk. His hair was a wild mess, more greys coming through than he could even recall, to say nothing of the near silver beard he had on his face. There were massive dark circles beneath his eyes and he was probably a few shades paler than normal. Lack of sleep and stress can do that to a person. It was like being dragged back to the years he was running and losing his mind. Always on his toes, always stressed out. Fearful of every shadow that moved out of the corner of his eyes. Were they being watched by the people who’d taken their son? It did feel like it sometimes, though he’d never spotted anything that stood out to him. But it could easily be his own paranoia again. Not the first time he’d found himself constantly looking over his shoulder. Even the pedestrians passing him by looked suspicious under this new sleep-deprived light. Eyes that glanced in his direction seemed filled with ill intent.

Alec must have been scared witless by what was happening. He was just a tot, after all. And such a tiny little bloke for his age, too. Murdoc cracked a grim smile, remembering a joke he’d made to Hailey about using the boy’s short and tiny stature to their advantage by getting him into places for half priced until he was out of secondary school. Alec was a little dude and he was probably shitting himself right now, not knowing why his parents hadn’t come for him yet. The longest he’d ever been away from them was a few hours at the most. It had been two days now. Two fucking days. For a four year old, that might as well be years. Alec knew nothing of the evil of adults. He’d been raised in the closest thing they could provide to a stable and loving home. Both Murdoc and Hailey were well versed on the evils of adults by the time they were his age. Though Murdoc’s own memories were foggy and broken thanks to a few knocks to the head, booze and whatever drugs he’d sought through the years, he could remember being Alec’s age and simply being afraid. Afraid of his father. Afraid of his brother. Afraid of the people in their circle. Teenagers and men who got their jollies kicking him around or trying to entice him with feigned acts of kindness that hid darker intentions. He’d been fortunate in that area since his father could barely tolerate his presence for more than a few moments of amusement and had often chased him off. Perhaps the man, in all his flaws, recognized the dangers he was putting his son in and was quick to remove him from the equation? He couldn’t even touch on what Hailey had already endured by the time she was Alec’s age. And for her, it was quite literally the beginning of a decade of hell until she’d been placed with the DeWitts.

Not knowing where Alec was rattled him to his core. He almost always had a plan. Always was thinking ahead. Yet someone had managed to snatch the boy away and he was at a loss as to who it could be. He was no closer now than he was two days ago when Alec had first been taken. Could they bribe someone to take fingerprints and see if they matched anyone in the system? But what if the person isn’t on police radar? What if it is someone else? Murdoc wanted to be confident that whoever was behind it was someone they’d crossed but neither of them could shake the fear that the kidnapping was at random and someone who merely wanted Alec for themselves, for whatever their reasons. Taking another breath, Murdoc scrubbed his hands across his face, almost groaning aloud. Some of the pedestrians cast him a quick look as they passed, but just like any other big city, minded their own bubbles. Indifference was the way of the world. To those passing him by, he was just a weird looking middle-aged man who looked unkempt and on the brink of tears. Probably best they avoid him because if anyone recognized him and tried to approach him, he couldn’t promise he wouldn’t be a complete arsehole. Just not the right time, you know?

From out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Stu coming out of the gallery. He paused just outside the door, looking around as he lit his own cigarette. Upon spotting Murdoc at the end of the building, he turned on his heels and started walking in Murdoc’s direction. “Heard an’fink yet?”

Murdoc shook his head, flicking his cigarette away. “Nothin’ yet, Dents. Not a bloody thin’.” They both started walking across the crosswalk and onto the sidewalk. Now that Stu was with him, more people started to pause and look in their direction. Even if they didn’t outright recognize Murdoc, they always recognized Dents thanks to his bright blue hair. And there was no denying that the two of them stood out in the crowd. Luckily for them both, those passing them didn’t try to stop them.

“No idea who did it?” Stu asked as they waited at a crosswalk for the signal. “You said you an’ Hailey were tryin’ t’ see if it was an’one you knew.”

“Told ya, Dents, nothin’.” He shoved his hands into his pockets as they made their way across the crosswalk. “If we did, we would be huntin’ ‘em down.” This was Satan’s honest truth right there. If they knew who it was, neither Stu nor Noodle would know about it until it was done and they’d gotten their son back. And to protect their friends, they would never have told them what became of those responsible.

Stu said nothing further as they approached a green strip that was the city’s version of a small park. Little more than a green belt with a path and a few benches. A place for the surrounding workers to camp out at with their lunches when the weather was more pleasant. Murdoc was quick to claim a vacant bench with Stu dropping down at the other end. He mainly wanted to watch the traffic and people. Hailey was at the other end of the downtown grid, doing much of the same. The green belt was centralized and even though the weather was clear, the minuscule park was mostly vacant. It actually gave him a decent vantage point because he could see around him. He was surrounded by bumper to bumper traffic thanks to traffic lights flanking each end. He could practically see every car that surrounded them, right down to the anonymous driver directly in front of him with his finger crammed up to the second knuckle up his nose.

Stu made a noise, his brow furrowed as he looked around them. “Noods still finks you should go t’ the cops. Not gonna lie, Muds, but I ‘gree wiff her.”

“Told you that isn’t happenin’, mate,” Murdoc grumbled. “Too much on the line. We get the police involved an’ we’d never get Alec back. I told you both this.” He couldn’t understand how this was so difficult to grasp. Both he and Hailey had explained to them that getting the authorities involved was absolutely out of the question. How much more clear did they need to be? This generally meant not bringing it up every time they were face to face. “We do know that whoever is behind this...they were in the house. We got home from an outin’ an’ thins’ just didn’t feel right. You know that feelin’, Dents?” He peered over at Stu, who was now looking at him with a crinkle in his brow. “Both of us couldn’t shake that somethin’ wasn’t right. We could practically feel another presence had been in the home. After we’d discovered Alec was taken, we found the door at the back of the garage had been tampered with. They’d done somethin’ t’ it so they could get in after dark.”

“How could you feel dat?” Stu asked with raised eyebrows. “Was stuff moved ‘round?”

Murdoc shook his head. “Not at all. We just could _feel_ it. Dunno how else t’ describe it, mate. Ever’thin’ was still where we left it but we could feel that someone else had been in there. An’ I think whoever was there had also tampered with my laptop. A folder was open when I dragged it out of sleep mode. Picture folder. Like they’d gone through our photos. Hailey thinks one of us might have just unwittingly pulled it up before the laptop went t’ sleep but that folder is at the top of the screen, Stu. No way we woulda opened it up by accident.”

Stu chewed against his lower lip as he pulled a fresh cigarette from his pack. “You fink they were tryin’ t’ identify Alec?”

“If we had more kids, I might think that.” A bitter laugh erupted from Murdoc. “But an’one who knows me or knows ‘bout me knows I only have the one....that’s still a tot, an’way.” Honestly, the mystery of who had been in his laptop probably nagged at him the most out of the whole home invader scenario. Why go through the photos and videos? No other folders had been tampered with – none that he could tell anyway. But whoever had been in their home had made a point to go through the photos he had saved on the laptop. Personal photos that he did enjoy browsing through from time to time after he’d burnt himself out going over financials and emailing suits who kept pestering him about contracts and deadlines. If the person was simply casing out their home in order to successfully get Alec out of there, what was the point of browsing through personal photos?

The two men sat in silence. Murdoc felt like he was on high alert, watching every person and every car that was around them. He tried to make it appear it was mostly just casual observation but he knew his face most likely gave the game away. He was too wound up, his expression too intense. All around him was the din of too many voices and the drone of too many idling cars. He couldn’t even hear himself think and could feel his agitation rising. Frowning at the pavement in front of him, he focused on the individual sounds. A fit looking bird on the corner chatting with her fella, talking about some swank eatery they both had been wanting to visit. Granddad in the car singing along to an early Elvis track. Kids squabbling in a car behind him with their exasperated mother barking at them to shut their mouths. Two women bickering in a car he couldn’t see. Bickering over staying out of sight. Some shrieks of excitement from some car stuck at the end of the block. The two bickering women got louder, one of them going off about not wanting to be there and all but demanding they hurry to where she was parked.

_Da! _ _Da, I see you!_

Murdoc blinked, his eyes now scanning the idling cars behind him. He was hearing things now, wasn’t he? Those kids squabbling in the midst of all the noise was fucking with his ears. Clenching his jaw, he stood up from the bench and began to scan around him. There was no way he had actually heard Alec’s voice through all of this. He was sleep deprived and on edge.

“Over here, Da! Over here!”

Stu was hearing it too. He was on his feet in seconds, looking around them. For the first time in his life, Murdoc was actually glad Stu towered over him. Gave him an advantage that Murdoc didn’t have. Alec could be heard wailing, his words unintelligible. Murdoc could feel his heard slamming hard in his chest as he looked around in every direction, trying in vain to pin-point where his son’s voice was coming from. Through the chaos, he could hear those same bickering women now yelling at each other, one of them practically screaming they punch it and get the hell out of there. Alec was screaming from somewhere in the sea of cars and fuck all the demons in hell, Murdoc couldn’t fucking see where he was! “ALEC!” he barked as loudly as he could. “I hear you, Alec! Where are you!”

“No, I see mah Da!” Alec shrieked from the rows upon rows of cars. “I see mah Da! Lemme out!” More shrieks and wails followed by the voice of a woman barking harshly at him to sit down and shut up.

“Where is it comin’ from!” Murdoc panted, frantically looking around. “Stu, can you see?” His eyes landed to a black sedan up at the front of the light, spying movement and Alec’s tear streaked face in the glass. “There! Over there!” He broke into a run towards the far end of the block, choking back a sob as the black sedan peeled out and turned against the light, cutting off the cars still moving through. He could hear Stu panting and pelting the pavement behind him as he shot through the intersection, barely missing a lorry that had to slam onto its brakes to avoid splattering him across the road. The black car took another turn, the squeal of burning rubber echoing through the mental and glass buildings. No, no, no! They’re right there! His boy was right there! The noises coming from him were little more than pants and sputtered screams as he pushed through the thick of people and veered the corner, nearly tripping over a rack of clothing set out onto the sidewalk. Who were the drivers? Did he get a look at them? Those two women he’d heard arguing, it had been them, right? He was almost certain of it. And bless the universe, Alec had spotted him! Though he hadn’t seen the boy thanks to all the cars, Alec had still spotted him and had yelled for him. Dodging more cars, Murdoc finally slowed his run, his lungs on fire and legs feeling like dead weights. The car was no longer visible. They’d turned off somewhere after they’d lost him at the other corner and were now gone. He slumped against the side of a building with a groan, having no choice but to accept that he’d lost them. 

By the time Stu had caught up with him, he was collapsed against the wall with his hands on his knees as he tried to take in lungfuls of air and fight back against the tears that now threatened. He was not about to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing him cry. Why bring him out in the open now? Were they transporting him to whoever had orchestrated the crime? Had they kept him hidden for days and were only just now moving him and through some twist in fate, happened to pass through when he was out there and looking for him? He exhaled loudly, still hunched over. Every part of him was numb and he could barely feel Stu’s hand on his back. White noise and blood thundered in his ears and as he peered up, Stu’s lips were moving but he couldn’t make out what he was saying. People were looking at them now, some of them most likely witness to the madman who had just plowed through people and clothing racks to run across several streets and nearly get himself hit by a few cars. Noises were coming back through the haze, Stu’s words now breaking through. “I saw da black car, mate. Saw Alec. But couldn’t see who was in the front. Two of dem, mate. Wearin’ hoodies, I fink.”

“Were you able t’ tell what kind of car it was?” Murdoc wheezed, erupting into deep and rattling coughs. “Or get a look at who was in the passenger seat?”

Stu shook his head. “Sorry, I didn’t. I fink the car might’ve been a Nissan. Little four door compact wiff a hatch back.” He looked around at the passing faces that continued to stare at the both of them. “You ‘kay, Murdoc? I dun’ fink I’ve ever seen you run like dat...not since dat day in da desert.” He paused a moment, frowning. Mention of the El Manana video shoot had become a touchy subject, even a decade later.

“Eugh....yeah, I’m a’right,” he huffed, slowly raising himself upright. “Black Nissan hatchback, you say?” Grabbing his cell phone from his pocket, he pulled up Hailey’s contact info. He was a little apprehensive mentioning that Alec had been driven right by him and still managed to escape, but at least get them on the look-out for the black car. He didn’t know anyone who drove a black hatchback and as far as he knew, neither did Hailey. Tapping out a quick message inquiring about the black car, he shoved his phone back into his pocket. There were too many muppets staring at them and Murdoc wanted to get back to the gallery. They had a lead and that was what mattered. A black car with two women. He wasn’t sure what this meant as far as list of suspects, but it certainly got them further than they were just twenty-four hours ago. It was still a tiny needle in a big fucking haystack but they could work with this.

Murdoc had spent the last two days fearing that Alec wasn’t even alive anymore so hearing his voice had been music to his fucking ears. He tried not to think about the fear and confusion Alec was probably feeling as he watched the car leave Murdoc in its dust. Alec worshiped the ground he walked on, which he reasoned was normal for the boy’s age. Finding out his Dad was a mere mortal man in the worst possible way must have crushed him. Murdoc had never gone above and beyond when it came to parenting Alec, generally leaving a bulk of it to Hailey, but the boy thought he walked on water. Never mind that, Alec was indeed alive and the boy had seen him and called out to him. The people he’d heard yelling at each other and his boy were both women and they had been driving a black Nissan hatchback sedan. They might very well be able to figure it out with that information alone. Now was the time to get back to the gallery and start putting heads together.


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW - abuse situation

**Chapter Twenty-T** **hree**

Alicia could hear Chloe growling at her to hurry up as she struggled to pry a wailing Alec from out of the backseat. She was still weak and panicky after their narrow escape from downtown. Seattle was a massive city and yet she’d somehow managed to drive right by Murdoc and Alec had seen him. She and Chloe had been squabbling over Chloe’s role in the scheme and how much involvement she’d wanted – which wasn’t a lot. They’d been so caught up in their arguing that they hadn’t noticed Niccals until Alec started screaming for his father. It had been only then that they’d both spotted him standing in the rest park with the singer, the two of them looking around frantically. Alec continued to scream, ignoring their barked and panicked commands that he quiet down. Alicia had felt there was no choice but to floor it and turn, cutting off oncoming traffic. Niccals had attempted to chase them but after a few random turns, they’d lost him. He’d almost gotten hit by a truck plowing through the intersection and had even narrowly missed being hit by a few other cars as he bolted across the streets in an effort to run the car down. People were staring at the scene, some of them looking directly at her car with the screaming four year old in the backseat. A four year old screaming for his father. What if someone contacted the police with the info?

Another thought made her moan aloud. Niccals had spotted her car. He knew what she was driving! She hadn’t given any of that thought until they’d finally reached the old shop. Chloe was upset they couldn’t drop her at her car, but how could they when Niccals had been out there trying to chase them down? The only thing that had mattered to Alicia in those moments was getting the hell out of there! She could always take her back to the car later. Trying to park anywhere within those blocks would have been a disaster because she didn’t doubt Niccals was scouring the grid trying to locate the vehicle. Chloe had been right – bringing Alec out had been risky. Though Alicia had only wanted to get the cut on his hand addressed, she recognized that she hadn’t been thinking very straight. But she’d panicked. The slice on his hand was deep and most likely should require stitches but what exactly had she planned to do? Couldn’t have taken him to a doctor. Neither she nor Chloe had the knowledge to do it themselves. And even if they did, could they hold him down to do it? He’d fight back and scream his head off.

Much like he was doing now.

“C’mon, Alec!” Alicia huffed as she reached into the car to pry his hands off the center seatbelt strap. “We need to get back inside!” Grabbing one of his hands, she slowly pried his fingers up one by one. “Let go of the seatbelt!”

“I want mah Da!” Alec screeched, clutching at the belt and trying to kick her away. “I saw mah Da an’ he saw me! I want mah Mumma an’ Da!” His little feet kept landing hard kicks into her stomach as she wrestled him from the seatbelt strap. He was tenacious, she had to give him that. He landed another hard kick, this time the heel of his foot striking her just under her chin, his voice high pitched and vibrating her ear-drums. “Lemmo go an’ lemme git mah Mumma an’ Da!”

Chloe hissed out a winded “For fuck’s sake!” and pushed Alicia aside to grab the boy and rip him out of the car. Alec came out flailing and shrieking at the top of his lungs. There were no words, just pure sound. High pitched and agonizingly loud. Wrangling the screaming child, Chloe used her foot to slam the door and turned towards the back entrance. “Go get the door, Hunter, before I throw this fucker into the Sound!” As soon as Alicia got the door opened up, Chloe was hauling Alec through the doorway and stomping towards the stairs that led to the basement. Alicia trailed behind her as she used the heel of her foot to reef open the doorway to the old abandoned lunch room. Alec had managed to wriggle enough to be half dragged by Chloe, who suddenly let out a yelp and flung the boy into the pile of blankets. Alicia uttered a noise, cringing back as Alec landed hard and started to wail louder while clutching his arm. Chloe had turned back to her, the woman’s face a blazing red. “The little fucker bit me!” she snapped as she thrust her arm at Alicia’s face. It wasn’t a deep bite. Little more than some reddened crescent shaped marks on her wrist. “He actually bit me like a fucking animal!”

Alec slowly sat up, cradling his arm against him as he cried pitifully against the wall. Alicia didn’t know whether she should attend to the boy or keep her distance. His face was beet red from his wails and tears. The way Chloe had tossed him, she wasn’t surprised that his arm hurt. He probably landed on it in his fall. And now he was staring at both of them with a venom she never thought could exist within a child. Narrow and icy green eyes. Hailey’s eyes. The dark expression on his face might as well been hers too. He was as much Hailey’s child as he was Murdoc’s. And Hailey was coming through loud and clear. When she took a step forward, he backed away, almost hissing at her. “Take me t’ mah Mumma,” he growled as fresh tears fell down his cheeks. “Take me t’ her now!”

“Not happening,” Chloe snapped with a shake of her head. “We already told you what was happening, little man. You will go to your father and your mother is leaving you to stay here with us...well, with Alicia here anyway.”

Alec’s glaring daggers found home directly in Alicia. With all the talk she and Chloe did over how they planned to get Hailey to stay and give him back to his father, it appeared that the boy hadn’t quite picked up on their connection to his mother. Did he even recognize her from the store? She supposed it didn’t matter now because whatever confusion he was dealing with, it was vanishing now and he was slowly climbing to his feet. He was almost growling, his teeth bared as he focused directly onto her. If not for the situation, she would have found his entire little act cute, even if it pissed him off even more. Why did it always look so adorable when kids this young got furious? And he truly was on fire now, still cradling his arm as he looked right at her with his cold narrowed eyes. “You’re da bird from da store! You’re da mate Mumma said wasn’t her mate an’more! You said mean thins’ t’ Mumma an’ hurt her. You’re da bird mah Da calls a cunt!”

Alicia blinked, unsure if she’d heard the boy correctly. His words kept piercing the white noise in her head, everything around her feeling like it was in slow motion. Chloe was laughing. Alec was still shrieking at her. There was no way Hailey had raised him like this. This was Murdoc’s poison through and through. The boy was merely an extension of him. Just as vile. Just as loathsome. Laughter from behind her. The boy’s words continuing. That same disgusting and vile word. _Cunt_. A word a boy that small should never know. A word that send ripples of fire through her as she tried to focus on his angry, tear stained and snot covered face. _Cunt_. Niccals had called her a cunt. Alec was calling her a cunt. A four year old little boy was calling her one of the most disgusting words in the English language. Alicia shook her head, not wanting to believe what she’d heard, but there was no denying it because he kept saying it, over and over again. Repeating a word he’d heard his father say. Repeating a word that he probably didn’t even know the meaning of. His father called her horrible names. His mother said she was a horrible person who hurt her. Lies. Nothing but lies. They’d filled his head with lies. “No, Alec....no no no! Your mother is sick and needs to stay here! It’s your Dad who is bad. He hurt people. He hurt your mother. He will hurt you eventually.”

“Liar!” Alec shrieked as he huddled against the wall. “You’re a liar.” She could still hear Chloe laughing behind her, saying something about how it was all reaching a head now. Alec kept screaming, saying that vile word on top of calling her a liar. He was fed up. He’d had enough and he was going to fight back. Hailey’s strength. Murdoc’s poisonous tongue. She kept shaking her head, not wanting to believe the words coming from him. Bitch. Cunt. Horrible lady. Fake. He wanted to go home now. His mother would never abandon him and nothing they said would make him believe it. His mother told him about the friend who was no longer her friend. The friend who said terrible things and hurt her.

“Stop it!” Alicia barked abruptly. “Stop it now!” She dropped into a chair, shaking her head and rocking where she sat. “I mean it, Alec!”

“I want mah Mumma an’ Da!” More wails. More screaming. More hurtful words. Something grazed the side of her head and she had to snap open her eyes, meeting Alec’s furious scowl as he grabbed something from the blankets and chucked it towards her. “Take me home! Mah Da will kick your arse if you dun’ take me home!” He reached down again and picked up something else. Alicia couldn’t quite see what it was, but it was big enough for him to strain as he raised his arm over his head and tossed it towards her.

Whatever it was he’d thrown, it hit hard and it fucking _hurt_. For a split second all Alicia could see was flashes of light and color followed by a piercing pain that was shooting through her entire head. The object had hit the floor with a weird _clank _sound. Holding the front of her head, she dropped her eyes to the floor and saw that it was an old padlock still connected to the brackets. Probably ripped from the vending machine by someone ages before they’d made the place their make shift hide-out. The spot on her head where it hit felt strangely icy. Wetness seeping through her fingers. Alec’s wails were no longer heard. She pulled her hand away and stared at it in near-disbelief. There was blood all over her hand. She was bleeding. Whether it was the force of his throw or just a lucky angle, the metal had sliced open her head. The boy was still screaming at her. Chloe was still laughing at her. Pain. White noise. She shook her head, not wanting to believe the boy had managed to slice her head open. Holding a hand against where she thought the wound might be, she rummaged through her purse and found her compact. The mirrored image didn’t lie. It was a deep gash that went from her forehead into her hairline. The bracket must have been what struck, slicing her head open. She tossed the compact onto the decrepit little table and turned her attention to the boy still shrieking empty threats of arse kickings. “Look what you did, you little asshole!”

Alec’s mouth snapped shut, his enraged expression melting as she got to her feet. Chloe’s laughter faded into the recesses of the white noise that continued to buzz through her head. Everything felt like it was fading from around her, the only thing in her line of site being the boy. From somewhere she couldn’t see she could hear a noise. It was a growl. No words, just sound. Closing in on the boy as he backed into the wall behind him before turning and trying to run towards the closed and secured door that led to freedom. Though she knew it was her, it didn’t feel like her. As if she were watching from afar and something else controlled her from within. She reached out and grabbed the boy by his hair, flinging him back to the blankets. As soon as he landed, she was towering over him and bringing her foot into his ribs as hard as she could, feeling brief delight when his shriek was cut short from the blow. Chloe was no longer laughing. Alec was gasping and struggling to crawl away from her. She grabbed his hair again and pulled him up, lashing out and striking him over and over, the strange growling sound she could hear now recognized as her own voice. “You’re a filthy little degenerate asshole just like your father!” More blows. Her hands were closed fists that continued to pummel down onto the boy as he struggled to regain a lungful of air. Still growling, she brought her foot back and sent it sailing into his body and face. He’d stopped gasping. He’d stopped trying to protect himself from the blows. Flailing like a rag doll from her blows. One final punch. One final kick. The blow sent him into the wall, landing in a limp heap atop the blankets. No sound. No anything. The red receded and it took a few ragged breaths for her to regain her wits. What had just happened? She knelt down to examine the still little form. His eyes were little more than slivers of white barely visible through his lids. His face was red and puffy, most likely from the blows. Jesus, no way she did this. No fucking way. He was faking it. He had to be. Was he breathing? Oh christ, did she kill him? She bent low, catching sight of the shallow rise and fall of his ribs. Good, still alive. She didn’t do this, did she?

When a hand landed on her shoulder, she jumped back and fell onto her rump. Chloe was looking down at both her and the boy. She didn’t bother to hide the cruel smile on her face. “You have a more balls than I gave you credit for. That was quite the show.” She erupted into a snorting laugh as she glanced over a the unconscious little boy. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that in my lifetime. Congratulations, Hunter, you finally put the little shit in his place!”

Alicia shook her head, tears falling as she slowly got to her feet. “I didn’t mean to....he just....he wouldn’t stop.....” Wouldn’t stop what exactly? Throwing a tantrum? Screaming for his parents? Throwing things at her? They’d snatched him out of his fucking bedroom in the middle of the night and kept him hidden in a decrepit, run-down shop for days and she’s surprised he is finally fighting back? But it wasn’t that. It was the venom that had spewed from his vulgar little mouth. Calling her words he shouldn’t even know. Words that were proof Niccals and Hailey were incapable of living a normal life. Who allowed their child to pick up words like that?

Chloe knelt down and rolled Alec onto his back. “You did quite a number on him, Hunter. You might very well have fucked up any chance of getting Hailey back, I hope you know that. You deliver a half dead kid to his father...they could very well say no deal.”

“We just keep the threat of calling the police,” she whispered as she wiped her eyes. “You said it, right? They will comply just to keep the police out of it.” Even as she said this, she wasn’t sure she believed it. The plan had been to hand Niccals a conscious child, not a battered little body she’d beaten nearly to death. _Fucking A, Ali, don’t think that! _ You didn’t hurt him _that_ bad. He’s still breathing. His eyes are moving beneath the lids. He’s alive. It’s shock, that’s all.

“They might not care about police involvement at this point.” Chloe dusted her knees as she stood upright. “He’s starting to bruise and one of his eyes is swelling shut. He might even die. You did a hell of a number on him, woman.” She was looking at Alicia now, almost smirking as she lit a cigarette and dropped back into one of the chairs. “Face it, Ali, you fucked up.”

This wasn’t what Alicia wanted to hear. Her eyes kept falling to the battered little body laying across the blankets. Please wake up. This wasn’t never meant to happen. We were only supposed to hold you for a few days and then hand you off to your father. If you hadn’t said those awful things and threw things at me, I wouldn’t have reacted. I don’t want you to die. Please just wake up! Dragging her hands across her face, she laid back onto the cold linoleum and stared up at the single flickering florescent light. Going back to the townhouse to drop off any kind of demand letter would be out of the question unless they used Chloe’s car. Niccals had seen her car. Probably knew what model it was and everything. She could only assume that neither Niccals or the singer had gotten a good look at either of them, making her somewhat grateful that Chloe had insisted on keeping the hoods up on their jackets. Chances were, if Niccals had spotted them, their hair alone would have given them away. All he would have had to do was mention a red-head and blond and Hailey would have been on them both like flies to shit. Why did she allow Chloe to even suggest this again? All she had wanted was to get her best friend back and look where it had gotten her? But Chloe was the one who suggested taking the boy and using him as the carrot on a stick. This was all Chloe’s fault. If she hadn’t butted in and helped her, Alicia wouldn’t be laying here freaking out with a half dead four year old and no closer to getting Hailey back to her.

How did she allow herself to get in this deep when all she originally wanted was to get her best friend back? Chloe was right – they wouldn’t agree to shit once they were aware of the condition Alec was in. They most likely would call the police. While it may land them in jail, it would be nothing compared to the kind of time she and Chloe would be facing. Chloe was convinced the boy would be shipped back to the UK and taken into care, but they had close friends who lived here in the city and there was a good chance that Alec would be placed with them if he recovered. After all, didn’t CPS agencies generally try to avoid stranger placements? Given the situation, it was possible they would keep the boy state-side until the legal crap with his parents could be sorted. Holy hell, what did she do? She royally fucked it all up and now could face serious prison time and no longer just for the kidnapping. What if Alec never woke up? What if she put him into a coma? What if he’s fucking brain dead?

Chloe uttered a weird laugh as she smashed her cigarette into the center of the old table. “Might as well finish this, eh? We need to get the demands out now while the boy’s still breathing. Better hope he doesn’t die in the meantime.”

******************************************

Stepping into the bar brought another strange wave of nostalgia as she took in the dark and shadowy interior. It was still early enough in the day that there weren’t many patrons inside and no sign of Toby. Probably wouldn’t be in until later. Hailey allowed the door to shut behind her as a new bartender, a woman she’d never seen before – popped up from behind the counter and flashed a plastic smile before returning to whatever task they’d been assigned. Hailey took this in a moment before finally claiming a stool at the bar. She felt like she was vibrating from within. Low grade anxiety that buzzed in the back of her head and whispered every fear. Murdoc had relayed to her that he and Stu had spotted Alec in the back of a car that sped off the moment Alec started screaming for him. Part of her wondered if their son had been kidnapped by the planet’s dumbest criminals. Kidnap a child and then drive around the city with him in the backseat? Who the fuck did that? Had their son been kidnapped by Horace and Jasper? There was a silver lining to their stupidity though. This meant that Alec was still in the city somewhere and he was alive! Murdoc had seen him. He and Stu had tried to chase down the car, but it had managed to elude them.

When the bartender re-appeared from behind the counter, Hailey ordered a simple hard cider. She’d been out canvasing most of the downtown grid and was ready to take a load off her feet, even if only for a moment. She wasn’t really sure why she thought searching the grid would get her anywhere but seeing that Murdoc had managed to spot Alec, maybe it was some weird parental intuition on their part? And they both had agreed that even with their fears getting the better of them, there was a feeling that he was alive and somewhere close. Couldn’t explain it, but that was just how it felt. It was a bit weird when you really took the time to think about it. How could you explain such a thing? She could remember when she once thought the women and men who talked about this kind of stuff were insane. How could you feel in your gut something you have no way of knowing?

Both Murdoc and Stu had also managed to get a decent enough look at the car to know it was a Nissan hatchback of some kind. Newer model, though this could be any model that had come out within the last decade since they all kind of looked the same to them. She didn’t know anyone who drove a Nissan hatchback of any kind and neither Stu or Murdoc had been able to identify the model of the Nissan. Hailey had looked it up and determined it was most likely a Versa since that appeared to be the only newish model of Nissan that came as a hatchback. And this was if it was a Nissan and not just a similar looking car. There was no way to identify those who drove the model. She didn’t have that kind of inside clout. Stu had pointed out that the car did have Washington plates and this was a good sign. Murdoc was certain it wasn’t a rental and this also meant that whoever had taken Alec lived within the state or used someone who lived within the state. Seattle alone was a lot of ground to cover, but knowing that Alec was essentially local brought immense relief, even if they were not much closer to identifying who was responsible.

When the bartender plopped the bottle of Strongbow in front of her, she smiled in thanks and took a long and hard drink from it. “Don’t suppose Toby is in today?” she asked when she set the bottle on the coaster in front of her. The bartender gave her a weird look and sort of half shrugged before walking away. Brow knitting together in mild irritation, Hailey resumed drinking her bottle of hard cider and gave a casual look around the bar. The few patrons within the bar were new faces to her, not that she really expected to see any of the old regulars. Neither she or Murdoc had run into any of the old regulars when they’d popped in just before Alec had been taken. It had been nearly five years and many of the people she remembered were her age or older so it was a given they’d have moved on to other ventures, right? What did that mean for her then? Thirty eight years old and returning to her favorite bar after five years? No doubt Chloe would give her a ration of shit if she spotted her here. The dumb bitch would probably be completely oblivious of her own (and usual) hypocrisy and immediately start ragging on her about being at the bar at her age. Hailey smirked into the bottle, softly laughing to herself as she took another drink. She hadn’t given Chloe much thought in years. She did find out from Toby during her last visit that the woman still popped in from time to time. As Hailey expected, Chloe had still been pretty heated over losing her job all those years ago and even after finding new employment, had complained endlessly about how Hailey cost her a good job and it wasn’t fair. It was only a good job because her precious daddy was part of the board and had protected her numerous times through the years. After what had finally unfolded that day in the lunch room, not even he couldn’t look the other way once people started coming forward with proof of how awful his daughter was.

Actually, given Hailey’s tightly coiled anxiety, she would probably welcome whatever jabs that vile bitch tried to toss her way. Give her proper reason to finally really beat that bitch down. She was stressed and angry and itching for a fight with anything. Over anything. She just wanted to beat something and the reasonable part of her just couldn’t grasp why. A hundred thousand years of evolution and civilization goes straight out the window when it comes to the primal need to protect one’s young. And she couldn’t even do that, could she? They’d both heard something amiss and Murdoc had gotten up to check on things only to come back and say nothing looked out of sorts. The person who did it had been hiding in plain fucking sight and they had completely ignored it. On top of that nagging feeling that someone had been in their home earlier that day. All the signs had been there and practically rubbed in their faces and they’d simply ho-hummed through their day until they’d finally heard the thing that couldn’t be ignored – the ringtone that had echoed through the lower level of the house followed by the hard slam of the garage door. Hailey had recognized the song, even though it had merely been the melody part. It had been a Lilly Wood And The Prick song, a track she’d actually been particularly fond of: _Prayer In C_. Again just proving that whoever had taken Alec must have been the dumbest fucking person alive right now. Breaks in while the parents are barely ten feet away, forgets to silence their fucking phone, makes a ton of racket getting out of the house and then – the cherry on fucking top – keeping Alec somewhere in the city and even driving around town with him in the backseat!

She allowed her thoughts to wander a bit as she nursed the hard cider, the door chime at the front only piquing her attention but never enough to actually look. She’d never bothered with keeping track of who came and went then and she certainly wasn’t going to do it now. At some point Toby popped up behind the bar and announced his arrival and soon they were chatting happily about their lives and whatever else crossed her mind. He mentioned catching sight of Alicia several days back but was quick to shift subjects when Hailey muttered she wasn’t interested in talking about her. Chloe still waltzed around like she was queen shit, apparently. This didn’t surprise Hailey one bit. Of course she’d still be coming here. She could be engaged or married, even have a gaggle of kids, and still find a reason to come back to this place just so she could put on her act of superiority! It was all that rotten and self-centered little bitch knew.

The front entrance chimed again and this time Hailey actually looked up from her bottle of Strongbow. Upon seeing Chloe standing there, nothing about her changing at all in the last five years, Hailey immediately felt her hackles rise. Speak of the fucking devil, right? And if she didn’t know better, Chloe wasn’t expecting to see Hailey sitting there because there was a pause and weird flicker across her face that Hailey couldn’t quite read. She regained her composure almost immediately and approached the bar with a sniff. Wearing the same type of over-priced blouse, the same over-priced jeans and the same fucking pixie cut that Hailey had grown to loathe during her time at the ad agency. Seating herself just a few seats from where Hailey sat, she cast a side glance at her before speaking. “Not here with your worst half, Wilson?”

“Sorry, Turner, but I can’t keep up with all the fucking so I needed a break.” She didn’t even bother looking over at her. She’d learned years back that it was one of the best ways to get under Chloe’s skin. Uttering a sigh, she resumed her bottle of cider. “You’d think after five years you’d fucking grow up a little.”

Chloe made a face, her focus on the mixed drink in front of her. “Why should I when you’re so much fun to piss off?” A grin cracked across her face as she took a drink. “You’re looking a bit rougher than I remember, Wilson. Must be hard being in your prime and looking like a well used piece of trash, eh?”

“No worse than you,” Hailey shot back. “Plastic can only go so far. It can fix your wonky tits, but can’t fix ugly.” Seeing Chloe fidget in her seat wanted to make Hailey crow in victory but she kept herself in check. She knew they were both too old to continue this bullshit. Why continue to bait each other? They were both more than old enough to be past this. There was also the fact that Hailey had gotten in the last laugh and the last jab (literally) five years ago.

Toby appeared in front of them, his brow furrowed as his eyes flickered between the two of them. “Not to be a spoilsport, but if you two can’t play nice, I’m gonna have to ask you both to leave.” He was mostly focused on Chloe and this did not escape her. Sneering she merely shrugged her shoulders and turned away so that her shoulders and back of her head could be seen. “Thank you,” he added as he plopped another hard cider in front of Hailey and then returned to stocking up the shelves.

Hailey smiled as she took the fresh bottle, glad that Chloe was smart about it and turned away. With everything going on and all the weird shit that didn’t make sense, Hailey couldn’t trust herself not to give Chloe a well-deserved smack. At some point, Chloe finally got to her feet and walked away from the bar counter, most likely claiming a table or booth away from Hailey. Just as well since they both couldn’t resist taking cheap shots at each other. Easier to just keep a distance from one another to avoid any problems. Toby didn’t want to have to get the police involved and given the current situation, Hailey didn’t need that either. She’d come here to grab a beer or two and collect her thoughts and getting distracted by a game of _who can be the bigger cunt _was not going to accomplish anything. She continued to nurse her drink and try to get her thoughts in check. They’d learned numerous things that had given them a great deal of hope and she’d be damned if she allowed anything to deter from this. Alec was alive and he was somewhere in the city. The person or people behind this were idiots and it would only be a matter of time before she and Murdoc found them and their son.

It wasn’t long before she spotted Chloe quietly leaving. And while it could have been her own building anxiety over the shit happening over the last few days, Hailey couldn’t shake the feeling that Chloe seemed keenly focused on her. She’d even given Hailey one last look before departing and there’d been no malice. It was that same weird expression she’d seen when Chloe had first entered the bar. Not really readable but definitely something off. Even after their brief verbals jabs, it was as if Chloe wasn’t prepared to see Hailey and had been thrown off her game a bit. Normally Hailey would be overjoyed at this but given Chloe’s vindictive nature, she couldn’t help but find it all a bit suspect. Of course, it could just be that the rotten bitch had been simply surprised at seeing her after so many years and wanted to be gone. It seemed too simple a reason, but Hailey couldn’t really think of anything else that made sense. She could remember a time when Chloe’s quieter moments meant she was up to something and this was no different. But how could she explain away that weird look the woman had given her when she first entered the bar and then when she left?

Toby was suddenly in front of her and offering another chilled bottle of the hard cider. She shook her head and tossed a couple of dollars onto the counter. Two were more than enough. She honestly had just wanted a few moments to herself. She hadn’t wanted to get shit-faced. With Chloe now gone, Toby leaned into the counter, dropping his voice to a whisper. “I know you don’t want to know about this, but she and Alicia have been hanging out. Not sure why she’s sunk her claws into Ali, but knowing how Chloe is, I can’t imagine it’s anything good.”

“No way Ali would get caught up in that woman’s bubble,” Hailey laughed, refusing to believe it. Alicia was well aware of the animosity between Hailey and her former co-worker. The idea that the two of them were now coming together just didn’t compute. Would she really do something like that? Hailey knew the woman had become unstable and desperate and Chloe was one who honed in on people she saw as easy targets. Alicia’s slipping mental state might have been an open invitation to her. “You’ve seen them talking together?”

Toby nodded his head. “A few times. I’m technically just the bartender and normally mind my business, but last time they were here, I heard your name dropped a few times.”

“Alicia never accepted that I left.” She shrugged as she zipped up her jacket and grabbed her purse. “She’s still hung up on how I need to stay here and let her control my life and it’s all Murdoc’s fault I left.”

When Toby flashed a sympathetic smile, she thanked him and slipped out the door. The rental was parked around the block. She also had to get to the other side of downtown to pick up Murdoc from the gallery. From there, they were all heading over to Stu and Noodle’s place to talk some more and figure out if the info they’d managed to gather could get them anywhere. It probably wouldn’t, but at least it would help her feel less useless. Russel would be there with his wife and she could use Russel’s more grounding presence at the moment. They all would. Get together and brainstorm. After all, they were dealing with the World’s Fucking Dumbest Kidnappers, were they not? Having Russel there to help keep reason in play would help them. There was only so much she and Noodle could do to keep the guys grounded.

She started walking down the sidewalk towards the car. Why did that encounter at the bar make her feel so weird? The look on Chloe’s face stuck with her. Toby said she’d gotten close to Alicia and this didn’t seem right, but she knew that Alicia had been falling apart and that alone could have been why Chloe had managed to invade her space. Alicia was fragile and seeing that she still seemed to think Hailey should come crawling back to her, no doubt Chloe was feeding into that in some way. But that moment she’s stepped into Curry’s and spotted Hailey...she’d frozen up, shocked to see Hailey and that flicker of expression on her face. Hailey wanted to say it was possibly fear, but she couldn’t be so sure. And she’d seen it again as Chloe left. She hadn’t remained long – fifteen, maybe twenty minutes tops. She’d gone right into getting her barbs in, as Hailey suspected she would, but overall seemed really put off that Hailey had been there. She continued to ponder over this as she made her way to the rental car, pausing in her stride when she spotted something tucked under one of the windshield wipers. Fucking hell, a ticket? Did she park in a restricted spot? She could’ve sworn the sign said free parking until five. She checked her phone to see what the time was and sighed when it showed it was barely past three-thirty.

Upon reaching the car, her brow furrowed once she realized the hastily folded paper under the wiper wasn’t a ticket. Maybe Murdoc had dropped by and decided to leave a note. Stupid as this idea sounded, she wasn’t sure what else it could be. He knew where was had been planning to go and it was literally just around the corner from where she parked. But he could be the laziest asshole too so leaving a note also seemed within reason. Plucking the paper from the wiper, she unfolded it carefully and scanned over the sloppy scrawl, feeling her blood pressure rise and white noise in her head. Shaking hands slowly unlocked the rental as she dropped the letter into the front passenger seat and seated herself into the driver’s seat. Should she read it again? Had she actually absorbed the words scribbled across the paper? Taking a breath, she looked around the street, wondering if she would see whoever dropped the note off. Had whoever taken Alec been following them around? She’d been inside Curry’s long enough for someone to drop off the note and disappear before she’d even gotten her first drink. She fumbled for her phone and pulled up Murdoc’s contact information. Normally she’d text but a phone call was necessary at this point. He needed to know what had been dropped off. He needed to know that whoever had taken Alec had been following them and had finally left a letter outlining their demands in order to get Alec back safely.

********************************

“No, I dun’ fuckin’ think so,” Murdoc growled as he paced around the lounge room. “Tryin’ t’ threaten us with the authorities if we dun’ do what they say? Fuck that!” He could feel everyone’s eyes on him as he continued to stare at the letter Hailey had brought to him. Were the people who took Alec mental? Like hell would they agree to this! From the kitchen, he could hear Russ telling him to calm down before he blew a blood vessel but how could he calm down? Some arseholes had taken his kid and were now making demands that neither he nor Hailey would ever agree to! Like hell he was going to remain calm. These degenerates were threatening police involvement if they didn’t do as the letter demanded. Fuck this! He dropped his gaze to the letter again, unable to stop the white noise in the back of his head or the blood pounding in his ears. He felt boiling hot and every part of him itching to lash out and strike at whatever was close. Old anger surfacing. Being on the receiving end of a royal fuck over and being unable to protect himself. He skimmed through the letter again, feeling the same helplessness he loathed. He wanted to fight against it, but what if these twats had the upper hand in some way? The letter was hand-written on a plain piece of notebook paper and lengthy, the demands outlined carefully. Hailey had joked that they were dealing with the world’s dumbest kidnappers and he definitely wanted to believe this because they hadn’t even been smart enough to keep Alec out of sight, but this letter indicated that they knew more than he and Hailey were comfortable with. What kind of demands were these? Did these arseholes actually think they’d agree to the terms of getting Alec back? What was to stop them from showing up for the exchange, shooting the kidnappers, getting their son back and then bouncing the fuck out of this stinking fucking city?

_ **To Murdoc Niccals,** _

_ **Your wife, formerly known as Hailey Wilson, seems to have some significant gaps in her paper trail from the time she left Seattle up until showing back up with you. After doing a bit more digging, we discovered that there is no record of her immigrating out of the country and her passport is a fake. Seeing that Interpol has been following you guys for years, I imagine you do not want this information to fall into their hands.** _

_ **Your son is with us and he is currently alive. For a man who talks so highly of his family life, imagine our surprise when we discovered you did not get the police involved. We assume you didn’t want them digging too deep and discover the discrepancies in your wife’s immigration paperwork. ** _

_ **The demand is simple: in order for you to get your son back, Hailey is to remain here and never attempt to contact you again. You will take your son and leave the country. There will be no contact between you and her or her and the boy. You both will walk away and move on. Any attempts to reach out to one another or attempts to reunite and flee will result in the authorities being contacted. We will make sure that you both end up in prison and your son is removed from you permanently.** _

_ **If you agree to these demands, meet us near Harbor Marina at 9:00PM tomorrow night. If you do not show, the police will be contacted.** _

_ **See you at 9!** _

_ **Anonymous ** _

He shook his head, the hand that held the note trembling in his rising rage. Okay, shooting might not be a good idea because they might come empty handed and only hand over Alec once Hailey agrees to stay. How the hell did they expect to enforce this? Were they planning on keeping Hailey under surveillance? They couldn’t watch her forever, could they? Not to mention the fact that they were married. Did they expect them to divorce on top of it all? He set the letter aside and dropped into a chair. “Why demand that Hailey stay here?” He really wanted to know. What were they hoping to accomplish by having Hailey stay here and never contact him or their son again? He could admit to being a bastard on his best days, but this definitely took the cake! What kind of cruelty was this, demanding a Mum abandon their kid? Was this some sort of jab at him because he’d been abandoned by his own Mum? A way to rub it in his face? Having Alec grow up knowing his Mum was somewhere and unable to reach out to her? Just thinking this fired him up. Hailey wouldn’t agree to this. She’d fight tooth and nail to keep this from becoming their reality. They’d become desperate as the days had passed and had been talking at length as to what they would agree to in order to get Alec back, but nothing like this! They’d even seriously considered reaching out to the police and that had been a risk that neither of them wanted but felt they’d had little else in the way of options. The person or people responsible knew they hadn’t contacted law enforcement and this meant they’d been checking up on them, either using connections to verify they hadn’t reported Alec’s kidnapping or just outright stalking them.

Hailey had been pretty quiet about the whole thing since discovering the letter. He had no idea what her thoughts on the matter were. She’d never been an easy person to read no matter how much he tried. He’d always prided himself on his ability to read people and generally was spot on. Sometimes he picked up on things that indicated her mood, whether it was a weird facial tic or some other gesture that he was familiar with, but these were not frequent things. Yet even with rising frustrations and fear felt by all of them, she was mostly calm looking on the outside. A closed book who kept her thoughts to herself. He was about to speak again, thinking his question had fallen on deaf ears when Hailey finally spoke up. “They’re pretty hyper focused on me staying behind. They want you and Alec to go away and I’m supposed to stay here and act like we’ve never met?” She seated herself across from him, her brow furrowed. He wanted to know what her thoughts were on the matter. He could tell she was thinking but he wanted to know _what _she was thinking. She wasn’t considering actually agreeing to the demands, was she? A strange humorless laugh erupted from her as she got to her feet abruptly and lit a cigarette. “Something about this doesn’t make sense. This wasn’t very well thought out.”

“We’ve a’ready established that, yeah?” Murdoc lit his own cigarette and leaned back into the plush chair. Absent thought of finding out where Stu and Noodle got this chair because it was fucking comfortable and he’d love to have a set back at the cottage. Right on, so they were back at the collective assumption that whoever was behind this was a fucking idiot! He could handle that. “The people behind this are idiots, or desperate...or both.”

“It appears so,” Hailey said in a low voice. “And I know you were convinced whoever took Alec was someone you crossed, but I don’t think this is the case.” Her words made him take a pause. Initially, they had been positive that whoever was behind this had been someone he’d crossed but Hailey was right. This might not have anything to do with him, not directly anyway. Why else would they demand Hailey remain here in Seattle? He could tell she was thinking hard now, her face set in that weird little scowl that he actually found kind of cute. She picked up the letter and looked it over, her eyes almost distant as she paced around the lounge. Both Stu and Noodle were watching her as well. All eyes on her as she kept looking at the letter and muttering to herself. The long stretch of silence was almost unbearable as everyone focused on Hailey, who finally set the letter aside with an annoyed sigh. “I think I know who’s behind this, Murdoc.”

Murdoc perked up, his fingers digging hard into the plush arms of the chair. This was what he wanted to hear. A possible suspect. A target. “Who is it then?” Rising from the chair, he sauntered over to her and peered down at the letter on the counter. How was she able to determine who was behind this by the note alone? Was it possible she recognized the handwriting? He’d never been good at recognizing handwriting. Hell, he’d seen everyone’s handwriting on numerous occasions and still couldn’t tell you who was who if all he had to go on was a note alone. If someone had shown him one of Hailey’s own notes without context, he wouldn’t have been able to tell it was her writing unless he’d spotted her trademark curly _H_. He dropped his gaze to the letter, examining the distinct way the letters were written. Half print-half cursive with obscenely curled capital letters at the beginning of each sentence. Was it how the demands were laid out or was it the sentence structure of the letter?

“Chloe and Alicia are behind this,” she finally said, lowering her head. “This looks a lot like Turner’s handwriting. I saw it day in and day out for eight years while at the ad agency.” She looked up from the note, catching Murdoc’s confused expression. “Chloe Turner, the bitch I got into a fight with my last day at the agency. Remember? I told you about her when we met up for lunch that day.”

Though the name still escaped him, he did remember something that had happened around the time they’d first met. He’d showed up at her office unannounced, wanting to see if she was interested in going out for lunch, and there had been some crazy shenanigans happening, an altercation of some sort that had led to Hailey being dismissed for the day. That whole afternoon was little more than a blur thanks to his own problems happening at the time, but he distinctly remembered her agitation and fears that the altercation would cost her the job. A lot of things had happened since then, but he did remember her telling him about someone she wasn’t very keen on. “You haven’t spoken ‘bout her in a while, Poppet...she was that spoiled rotten bird you complained ‘bout, yeah?”

Hailey nodded, her eyes still on the letter. “I was told by Toby that she and Alicia have been seen together on a few occasions. She’s still burnt about losing her job and blames me for it. And we all know Alicia has been rattling off weird shit about me coming back and staying here.” She shook her head in disbelief and held up the letter. “I’m not a hundred percent sure what the end game is, but if Chloe is involved, there’s another motive behind this. It’s not as cut and dried as me simply staying put, Murdoc.”

“Any idea what she really wants?” he asked. “An’ what do you want t’ do with this information, love?” If she was certain of the people involved, this meant they could get to them before tomorrow night, right? He wanted this to end now and if they had names and faces, it was time to act.

“I’m not sure, Murdoc, I told you this.” There was an air of annoyance in her tone. Though he was quick to remind himself that they were all on edge, the irritation in her voice didn’t escape him and his knee jerk reaction was to shoot his mouth off at her. As if sensing his offense, she uttered a sigh and reached out, massaging his shoulders with one hand. “Whatever her ultimate goal is, it might only play a small part in this whole scheme, but doesn’t make her any less involved.”

Russel was across the counter from them suddenly, looking at the letter carefully. “You should be taking this information to the police, you two. I know you’re worried about further investigations, but if you think you know who this is, Hailey, you need to bring it to their attention so they can handle it.”

Murdoc shook his head. “No way, Russ. No fuckin’ way. Police drag their heels, man, you know this. We have a little over twenty-four hours until the exchange. We get the police involved, that time will pass an’ before we know it, all hell might break loose. Her old mate an’ this bitch she used t’ work with aren’t playin’ with a full deck an’ I dun’ want t’ risk them harmin’ Alec. We dunno what they will do t’ him if we dun’ show.” He turned his focus back to Hailey, who had dropped down into one of the stools at the counter nook. “What do you wanna do, Poppet?”

She looked up, her eyes glassy with fresh tears. Miss closed book finally allowing something to seep out. Though it was clear she was struggling with the onset of new tears, she remained amazingly stoic. She was on her feet suddenly, gathering the letter and the keys to the rental. There was something building under the surface and he could feel it, like the heat of a hot hob burner before it touches your skin. It was in the air all around him, almost smothering him. What did she want to do? Something was running through her head and he wasn’t privy to it, but he knew it would be something delicious. They were mere steps away from locating their son and getting to the people responsible. Allow her to lead the way and he could pick it up from there. When their eyes met, hers were cold and walled off, the strange dark look on her face sending ripples of sensations through his spine. Cracking a strange smile, she tossed the rental keys to him before exiting the house without another word. Grinning, he tightened his grip onto the car keys, feeling the metal bite down into the fleshy part of his palm. “Guys,” he whispered in a huff, “if an’one asks ‘bout what happens t’night...we were with you the whole time. We clear on that?”


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW - IMPLICATIONS OF NON CON/SEXUAL ASSAULT

**Part III - Slowboat to Hades**

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

Riding the elevator up to her floor, Chloe busied herself scrolling through some missed text messages and voice mails. It had been a hell of a fucking day. She just had to admit that she’d allowed herself to get too involved in this scheme. Alicia had lost it and beat the boy senseless, which honestly had surprised Chloe. She knew that Alicia had become unhinged, but she never in a million years thought the woman would snap and attack the child. The boy had still been unconscious when she’d left the shop and she’d driven around a bit to clear her own head. Easy as it was to display cold calm, inside she was coming apart. The original plan was to orchestrate things from a distance, but with Alicia’s slipping mental state Chloe had found herself more and more involved in order to keep Alicia in check. They had written out the letter but were still in disagreement on how to get it to Niccals and Wilson. Chloe had tucked that letter away until they could come to an agreement but after Alicia’s spazz out on the boy, Chloe felt it was best to get this rolling. She’d had every intention of dropping the note off on their doorstep and slinking away, but had detoured to Curry’s to grab a drink and sort out her own panicking thoughts. She needed a familiar and comforting place so she could think a bit before venturing back out.

Imagine her shock when she walked in and there was Wilson sitting right at the bar. It had been enough for Chloe to pause and take quick stock of her surroundings, hearing fleeting whispers of anxiety and fear in her head. Fear? What did she have to fear when it came to the gutter-rat? Wilson was a wretched nobody who got lucky. There was absolutely zero reason to feel even that fleeting sense of fear upon seeing her at the bar. But she had and she knew exactly why. Wilson was the last person she’d expected to see sitting there, especially when she’d been all Chloe and Alicia had talked about and thought about for the past few days. She’d covered her surprise up quickly with a few well aimed jabs and the gutter rat took the bait and shot back. She did eventually order her drink and move away from Wilson but couldn’t shake her uneasiness and finally decided to leave. If Wilson had caught on to her uncertainty, no doubt she would have said something even after they’d both been reprimanded by that aging relic of a bartender. Since Wilson had said nothing, Chloe had felt confident that she’d escaped scrutiny. She did wonder why Wilson was in the bar when her son was missing but the stress was certainly seen. It looked as if Wilson had aged a decade and Chloe couldn’t help feeling just a little triumphant that the woman’s wretched state was a direct result of Chloe’s plan. Seeing Wilson there reminded her that Niccals had spotted them with the boy not long before so it was possible they were scouring the grid on foot and Wilson had stopped in to do the same as Chloe – get a cold drink and sort her thoughts out.

Upon leaving the bar, she’d made a quick walk down the sidewalk in order to get to her car as quickly as possible and get away before Hailey popped back out. While fumbling for her keys, she’d remembered the letter and had realized this was probably the best chance they had at bringing this whole scheme to a close before it got further out of control. And the maroon rental they were driving was parked four spaces away from her own car, easily identifiable as a rental and with enough personal stuff inside to determine it was indeed their car. She’d slipped the folded note beneath the wiper blade and darted away to her own her, hoping to put as much distance between her and Wilson as she could.

The elevator lurched to a stop, shaking Chloe from her wandering and desperate thoughts. Everything was behind her now and she could hide in her apartment and relax. Get a good night’s rest so she could bring together the final pieces of her plan. She had to get them all at the marina – Niccals, Wilson, Hunter and the boy. Make sure everyone had arrived and then call the police and watch all hell break loose as every single one of them were taken away. The boy and Alicia were little more than collateral damage but it would still make for an interesting night. Maybe get some media involved too? That would make it ten times more fun right there. Police raid on the exchange and all of it caught on film by local media as well as whatever paparazzi that caught on to it. It would make headlines around the globe and give her something to watch over and over again.

Reaching the door to her apartment, she rummaged around through her purse to find her keys, cursing under her breath as she dug deep into the large and heavy handbag and catching a glimpse of her lit up cell phone with another call from Alicia. Ignoring the vibrating phone, she continued to dig around, finally spotting her keys beneath her wallet and some prescriptions she had yet to fill. There were days when she asked herself why she insisted on a massive designer handbag seeing that locating things inside it was like going on a fucking quest. “There you are,” she murmured to herself as she pulled the keys out and unlocked the door. Hunter was most likely still panicking over the unconscious kid. Call her back later and talk her down from whatever imagined cliff she has herself on. Christ, that woman was a fucking flake. Much as it pained her to even admit it, she could almost understand why Wilson had put distance between the two of them. She paused in the doorway, looking around the quiet corridor. Everything was blissfully quiet, most of the residents probably asleep or tucked away safely in their heavily insulated and damned near sound-proof luxury units. The silence could certainly be unsettling at times, but it had been one of the larger appeals of the apartment when she’d signed the lease. She also had the closest access to the stairs in the event she needed to escape the building for any reason, be it fire or some other catastrophe.

Slipping inside, she started to close the door behind her. The door stopped abruptly but there was no familiar _click_ that told her the door was secure. Frowning, she turned around to check the door and it took a long moment for her to realize that she was staring at a boot in the doorway blocking the door from shutting. For a split second, everything felt frozen as she stared down at the boot, the door pressed but not budging. She couldn’t yell, couldn’t scream, only stand there in dumbfounded silence as the boot moved and the door flew open, tossing her backwards onto her rump. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the boots as they stepped inside, followed closely by another set of boots. A low moan escaped from her when the door shut with a quiet little _click_ and an additional flick that indicated the deadbolt was now locked. Still too stunned to speak, she finally raised her eyes and felt every part of her sink when she found herself staring directly at Niccals and Wilson. Every part of her felt frozen, unable to speak or even scream for that matter as they stood over her and casually looked her over. There was no anger, no animosity in their expressions, just a strange calm that forced her to drop her gaze to the floor.

They circled around her, Hailey snatching her handbag from her arm and digging her phone out. Chloe could only remain seated in silence on the floor as Hailey pulled up her phone contacts and messages, the calm expression flickering to a look that Chloe had never seen before. An unsettling silence passed through them as Hailey continued to skim through her text messages and call logs. She finally stopped, her eyes surfacing from the phone to meet Chloe’s. “So you and Ali are best buds now, eh?” When Chloe didn’t respond, Hailey gave her a nudge with her boot. “I know you know how to talk, Turner. You ran your fucking mouth at me for years.” When Chloe still didn’t speak, Hailey scoffed and made a weird gesture with her hand. Chloe felt Murdoc’s hands clamp down onto her arms as he hauled her up to her feet. Reason screamed that this was just the gutter-rat and her piece of trash husband trying to shake her down, but she was too shocked to move. Hailey’s tone was icy, something she had never heard before from the woman. Nothing about their demeanor said this was meant to just give her a fright. They meant business. They were out for blood. Chloe’s mouth opened but no sound came out, still too spooked and confused to find her words. Hailey sneered and rolled her eyes in annoyance, turning to saunter through the apartment as she continued to browse through Chloe’s iPhone. “Swank digs you got here. Top of the line everything.”

“C’mon, Poppet,” Murdoc growled from behind Chloe, “we’re not here t’ admire this cunt’s material shit, we’re here t’ find out where she’s hidin’ Alec!” Chloe fidgeted, hoping to put some distance between her and Murdoc. He was too close, almost holding her against him with his mouth right by her ear. All she could smell was a strange musky scent and cigarettes.

Hailey paused with her eyes still on the iPhone. Glancing up at Chloe, she approached her slowly and held up the phone, not bothering to disguise her anger at this point. “You’re so fucking transparent, you know that?” She shoved the phone into Chloe’s face, revealing a string of text messages between her and Alicia. “So where are you and Alicia hiding the _little rat_?”

Taking a breath, Chloe finally found her voice. “No idea what you’re even talking about.” She tried to keep her voice steady, mentally chastising herself for how weak she still sounded. Exhaling loudly, she kept her eyes locked on Hailey as she spoke. “I was seeking advice on a pest problem.”

Murdoc let out a sigh from behind her, pressing closer so that his voice was right in her ear. “Do you really wanna play this game, you lil’ cunt? Keep fuckin’ with us an’ see how this ends.”

He gave her a hard shove, sending her stumbling across the living room and right into Hailey’s grasp. Chloe let out a shriek when Hailey grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her through the room towards the sofa. If she screamed loud enough, people should hear her, right? The units can’t be that soundproof. But wasn’t this the main reason she’d picked this apartment building? Luxury units with heated floors and solid soundproof walls? How far would they be willing to do? This was a stupid thought because they’d literally had broken into her apartment and with the door shut and locked, could essentially do whatever they wanted. Criminals, just as she’d assumed they would be. Degenerates. Gutter-trash that played by their own rules and had zero respect for those in higher stations. Her gaze fell to a bag she hadn’t realized Hailey had been carrying when she first barged into the apartment. A plain black gym bag that looked like it had seen better days. Hailey followed her gaze, her face quirking into a smile. “That bag’s for you, Turner. So you might want to be a bit more forthcoming with what you’ve done to Alec.”

Chloe felt her hair get tugged, yelping as Hailey tossed her down into the sofa. She landed hard into the cushions, feeling one of them pulling her arms back and the sound of tape being pulled from a roll. Half sobbing and half screaming, she looked over her shoulder to see Murdoc on the sofa behind her and holding her arms behind her back. Hailey’s own labored breathing could be heard as she wrapped the tape around Chloe’s wrists before shoving her back down into the sofa. Struggling against the hands grabbing at her, she rolled from the sofa to the floor, screaming at them as tears fell. Unable push herself up, all she could do was use her legs to scoot her away from them, pushing herself along the laminate flooring in a desperate effort to put as much distance between her and them as she could. When both of them each grabbed an arm and yanked her upright to sit her onto her sofa, she lashed out with her legs, wanting to yell in triumph when she felt her foot connect with what she could only hope was one of their fucking faces. Murdoc grabbed her legs and wrenched them apart, kneeling between her knees on the floor with a lecherous grin on his face. Tears still streaming down her face, she moaned when she felt Hailey climb onto the back of the sofa so she was sitting behind Chloe’s shoulders, her hands now holding her firmly against the sofa.

Murdoc inched closer, almost pressed against her as he smoothed his hands across her arms, moving upward to the hands that held her shoulders in a vice grip. “Not gonna talk, eh?” he purred, leaning in close to her face and still leering. The hands on her shoulders tugged at the fabric of her shirt, the sounds of material ripping filling the apartment. Hailey shifted behind her, pushing her forward so Murdoc’s hips were pressed hard against her. One of Hailey’s hands searched down her body towards the button of here jeans while the other held her head firmly in the crook of her elbow. No, this couldn’t be happening. Things like this didn’t happen to people like her. They were sick fucks. Dangerous sick fucks. Panting and laughing as they tore away her shirt and yanked at her jeans. He was hard as a rock, pressing into her groin with emphasis. He wasn’t looking at her, though. His eyes were on Hailey as she slid behind Chloe on the sofa, her breath whispering against her bared skin. Seeing Chloe’s horrified expression, he chuckled and ran his tongue across her neck, one of his hands gripping her hair tightly and yanking her head back. “We can do this all day, bitch,” he breathed against her ear, his free hand now between her thighs. “An’thin’ t’ say yet?”

“Get the off of me, you sick fucks,” she hissed as she tried to pull her head away from his. Every part of her was buzzing and frantic, wanting to put as much distance between their bodies as she could. Was this the fight or flight reflex? She’d never been in a position like this so she didn’t know. She just knew she needed to get away from them. She needed to scream. She needed to fight. Their touch left a trail of heat across her skin. Her stomach knotted in repulsion as a hand ran across her breast, lingering long enough to pinch her nipple through the fabric of her brassiere. With Murdoc’s hands in her hair and between her thighs, she knew who the hand belonged to. Frantic whispered thoughts urged her to fight back, but she was frozen in place and pinned between them. She didn’t want to believe they would do anything, but that weird gleam in Murdoc’s eyes told her otherwise.

Hailey circled her arms around her, her mouth brushing against Chloe’s ear. “You tell us where you’re hiding Alec or I’ll let him do whatever he fucking wants. Are we clear?” Her own tongue lashed out, sliding behind her ear with slow and deliberate strokes that sent waves of chills down Chloe’s spine. “And I’ll hold you down and let him do it. Might even join in.”

“Fuck off! I don’t know what you’re talking about” she screeched, throwing her head back and feeling it connect with what she could only hope was Hailey’s head. Hailey’s hold loosened enough for her to wrench herself away from the woman and try to push forward. Murdoc uttered a snarl and shoved her backward, pressing in so close that his scent filled the space between them. Whimpers erupted from her as his mouth traveled across her shoulders, collar-bone and neck. “I told you, I don’t know!” she repeated.

“That’s not what the text messages indicate,” Murdoc whispered against her neck. “You should answer Hailey’s questions, love.” He pressed his hand harder against her groin. “You dun’ want her t’ let me loose, now do you?” She swallowed hard against the hot press of his hand, unable to tear her eyes from his. She had some vague awareness of Hailey climbing out from behind her but was fixed on his eyes. She wanted to look away but couldn’t. He was so close to her she could see every little imperfection and he had a lot of them. She could see scars, pock marks, the mangled bones of the bridge of his nose, silver in his eyebrows and hair, thick lashes and dark brown eyes with flecks of hazel. Eyes that bored down into her soul. Eyes that were cold and dark and looked at her as if she were a mere piece of meat.

Unable to take the cold and steady stare, she finally flicked her gaze over to Hailey, seeing the woman going through the iPhone. Hailey casually walked around the living room, seemingly oblivious to the lecherous grin on Murdoc’s face or how obscenely close he kept getting. She kept her attention on Hailey, feeling heated and flushed, her body betraying her as he removed his hand and pressed his body against hers. She didn’t want to believe he would really do anything to her, but it was difficult to not notice how hard he was against her or his labored breathing as he continued to grind against her. And Hailey had even joked she _might even join in_. Her stomach twisted, the food she’d eaten prior now threatening to make a return appearance. All she could smell was _him_. His clothes, his body, his breath. A dark and musky smell that made her think of the woods. He seemed mostly preoccupied now with Hailey, his eyes now on her as she paced around the living room.

With both of them now no longer focused on her, she was sure she could get an opening. Bringing one of the legs up, she almost froze when his attention reverted back to her but she was moving now and there was no stopping her. Using a free leg, she planted her foot hard into his shoulder and shoved him backwards. He hit the floor with a startled squawk, finally giving her the room needed to rock forward and get to her feet. Murdoc reached out in an attempt to grab her ankles but she danced over his fleeting grabs and started to stumble her way towards the front door, not knowing how she planned to open it up but she’d figure it out once she got there. Ten feet away. Five feet away. Cool press of the heavy wood against her bared body as she turned to try to fumble with the European style knob with her bound hands. Hailey was at her side suddenly, hissing as she grabbed her and flung her back towards the living room. She uttered a cry when Murdoc grabbed her before she could fall forward, now wrestling her back to the sofa. Instead of turning her to sit, he forced her to her knees and crushed her face into the cushions, growling under his breath as he positioned himself directly behind her, hardness now pressing into her rump. Hailey climbed over the back of the sofa, no longer smiling as she positioned her knees directly into Chloe’s shoulders. “Get her jeans off,” she snarled.

Feeling his hands claw at her jeans and strip them away past her knees, Chloe fought against him as hard as she could, but with Hailey now holding her upper half down and Murdoc at her rear, all she could so was flail pitifully as he tore the jeans away and tossed them aside. Other sounds reached her ears and it took a long moment before she realized she was hearing the sound of a belt being unbuckled. Screaming, she attempted to buck her attackers off of her but only succeeded in getting a hard slap against her panty-clad rump and Hailey’s backside now sitting on her head and muffling her screams further. He was back against her again, rocking against her as she sobbed and screamed from the cushions. Little more than a few layers of cotton between them as he continued to grind himself against her, panting now as he ran his hands up her back and to her hair. Hailey shifted, no longer kneeling onto her and allowing Chloe a chance to breath. Murdoc’s hand gripped her hair, pulling the short strands painfully as he yanked her upright. She felt the hot, wet press of his tongue against her neck, groaning when it slid up her neck and across the side of her face. “You have an’ idea how much I want t’ hear you scream?” he purred, pressing his body against her rump harder. “Havin’ you at our mercy like this....” He pressed harder, a strange rumbling whimper escaping from him when her body twitched against him. “I could blow right now if you keep movin’ like that.”

Hailey seated herself at one side of the sofa, tossing Chloe’s phone into her over-sized handbag. “We know she and Alicia are keeping him somewhere. I checked the other rooms and he’s not here but I didn’t expect him to be.” Leaning forward, she reached out and grabbed Chloe’s chin. “The longer you remain silent, Chloe, the more fun we will have with you. If you know what’s good for you, you will tell us where you’re keeping our son. I don’t give a fuck about your reasons, I just want our son back.”

Murdoc was no longer pressed up behind her. She could hear him buttoning his jeans and buckling his belt and almost pissed herself in relief. The relief was short-lived. Hailey was hauling her to her feet and pushing her towards the door. Did they really intend on marching her out into the hall with nothing on but her bra and panties? What more were they thinking of doing to her if she didn’t tell them where the boy was? Wasn’t Hailey even a little bit concerned that Murdoc had a full erection through his jeans? He was really getting off on this and Chloe wasn’t sure whether to be terrified or disgusted. Yet Hailey had implied she would let him and help him. Was that all talk just to terrorize her? Too many questions were racing through her head as they moved as one towards the door. Murdoc opened the door slowly and peered out. Most likely checking up and down the hallways. Hailey had taken the tape and tore several strips from it, wrapping the strips around Chloe’s face. Any hope of screaming was cut short as she plastered three strips of tape across her mouth, the strips long enough to almost wrap around her head. Murdoc said something that she didn’t catch, grabbing her roughly around the waist and hauling her over his shoulder with a grunt. Chloe closed her eyes, feeling tears squeeze through as they moved as one out of the apartment. She saw Hailey linger at the door a moment before following behind him, Chloe’s handbag on her arm. Had she locked the door? Did it really matter at this point? She couldn’t recall even hearing the door click and felt weird fleeting sensations of panic at the thought of her apartment door being left ajar. Such a stupid thing to be panicked about when she was being hauled out of her building over someone’s shoulder like a sack of fucking potatoes! But the door being left ajar would be a blessing! It meant someone would notice and the authorities would be contacted! This nightmare would be over eventually. They both had police records and this meant their fingerprints would be found and matched and soon the police would find her! She wanted to sob with joy, the tape muffling her voice as she swayed against Murdoc’s back.

Catching a glimpse of Hailey again, her heart sank and all that renewed hope sank when she realized both were wearing plain leather gloves. How had she not noticed this? She wailed against the tape, feeling more tears fall as they walked briskly to the end of the hall where the door to the stairs were. This was probably how they got in. Through all of this, she hadn’t even thought of how they’d gotten in. All the doors to the building were secured with access pads and sliders for cards. Had they followed someone in? She looked around frantically as they descended the stairs, finally catching sight of the emergency exit once they reached the bottom. One of those doors that were locked from the outside, meant only for escape from within the building. A door that had an alarm on it to alert security if it was opened. Wires to the alarm had been cut and the door was partially ajar. This was how they got in then? That seemed to be the only thing that made any sense. Picked the lock and disabled the alarm that sounded when the door opened. Of course they’d know how to pick a fucking lock.

Hailey poked her head out the emergency exit first, looking around before waving at Murdoc to follow. Chloe whimpered against the rain and coolness of the air. It was the alley between her apartment building at the shop that face out the other side of the block. She rarely had ever gone through this alley since it seemed to always been greasy kitchen staff and the occasional homeless person camping out. There was nobody out this time and she spotted the maroon rental parked right outside the door. She tried desperately to figure out what had led them to her home. How had they found her? She’d printed the letter carefully but at the same time had kind of rushed through the letter. How did they know it was her and how did they know where she lived? She’d been trailing them for days and if they’d been trailing her, surely she would have known it! Did it matter now? Letting out a muffled cry against the tape, she felt herself flung forward, landing on her feet at the backside of the rental. Hailey had popped open the trunk and was now grabbing at her. Murdoc had her by the shoulders, the two of them shoving her hard towards the trunk. Chloe attempted to resist, screaming against the tape as one grabbled her ankles and the other hooked their hands under her arms, lifting her up and tossing her into the trunk. She felt her head strike the side of the car with enough force to see stars briefly before rolling over to look up at them. Hailey merely stood there, staring down at her with a weird expression on her face. Was it pity? Sympathy? Maybe they would feel sorry for her and just let her go? Maybe they would realize how far over their heads they were getting? Sighing, Hailey reached up and slammed the trunk down, engulfing Chloe into darkness.

*************************************

Glancing down at her watch, Alicia muttered under her breath as she gathered her belongings from the passenger seat of the car. Chloe had left late last night and had told her she’d be back by now, ready to finish the plan once and for all. Said she’d be there first thing in the morning, no later than eight. It was now past nine and there was no sign of her. Text messages went unanswered and the first few times she’d called, someone had picked up but there had been no response, just a strange rapid breathing before the call was disconnected. After a few more attempts, she finally had decided she needed to go and check on her. What else was left to do? Alec was still unconscious, the redness and puffiness now full blown bruising and swelling. Alicia could feel her reserve wavering. She couldn’t do this on her own. Chloe was the one who knew exactly what they needed to do and if she was deciding to drop out, Alicia needed to figure what the next step needed to be. If there was going to be a next step.

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before getting out of her car. Making a brisk walk towards the main entrance, she stopped briefly at the security desk to sign in before heading to the elevators just behind the guard desk. She tried a few more times to call Chloe as she rode the elevator up and could feel her anxiety rising. Why wasn’t she answering? Did she go on bender last night and not get home until late? She’d left the shop to head home some time after midnight so it wasn’t like she could have found any place to go for drinks that wouldn’t be ten minutes away from last call. Not to mention the simple fact that they had a lot of things to go over before later tonight when they planned to meet up with Hailey and Murdoc to go over the rules of the exchange. Chloe better not have backed out. Alicia knew she’d been nervous as hell over her deeper involvement. She wasn’t stupid. She knew full and well that Chloe had wanted to remain as hands-off as much as possible. There was probably deeper motive involved but Alicia had been so desperate for her help that she went along with it. The end game was probably just her finally being able to rub it into Hailey’s face that she’d managed to take her away from her son. Alicia knew that was the only real reason she was helping her. It just ended up helping Alicia at the same time. She’d get Hailey back and the roach away from her for good and Chloe could crow about finally getting back at Hailey for costing her her job.

The elevator stopped, doors opening up and revealing a few neighbors lingering out in the hallway. She stepped out carefully and turned to walk towards Chloe’s unit when she realized that the congregation of neighbors spanned down the hall with some lingering outside of Chloe’s apartment with phones to their ears. A ripple of chills went down her spine when she arrived at the door to find it ajar. Too many people were talking, some of them on the phone with police. Chloe’s door was found ajar this morning. One person said they thought they saw it ajar around one or two in the morning and probably had been ever since. Alicia shook her head and nudged it open carefully. “Where’s Chloe?” she asked loudly, looking at the different faces. “What’s going on?” When nobody responded, she inched her way into the apartment and looked around. Things were knocked over. A table had been tipped, whatever had been on top of it now shattered across the floor. The house wasn’t destroyed, but it was enough for make every hair on her body stand on end. She skirted through the kitchen to the living room, freezing when she saw the shredded remains of the shirt Chloe had been wearing when she’d left the shop last night and her jeans laying in a heap several feet away, pulled inside out as if they’d been peeled off of her.

What had happened? She stepped closer to the sofa, freezing right where the tattered blouse was, something foreign in the air that made her back away. Had this been a random act of violence? Chloe wasn’t a good person and had screwed over quite a few people over the years so karma catching up with her wasn’t completely out of the question. She looked around, checking the back rooms and finding them tidy and untouched. Nothing else seemed disturbed. Just a few knocked over things and her clothes ripped up in the living room. As she made her way back through the living room, another neighbor was now standing in the doorway and gesturing for her to come out. “Police are on their way,” the man said as Alicia followed him out of the apartment. “We can’t let anyone else in there. What’s your relation to Miss Turner?”

“Umm...a friend,” Alicia said, her eyes still on the open door. “She was planning on meeting up with me for coffee and didn’t show. Decided to check on her when she wasn’t answering her cell.” She needed to get out of here. Sticking around to give a police report was out of the question. When the neighbor turned to talk with someone else, she slipped away from the growing group of people that now was including the security guard she’d spoken to in the lobby. It was time to make herself scarce and get back to the shop. She needed to think about what her next steps were going to be. She needed to think long and hard about what she planned to do. She wasn’t sure if she could do this on her own and could feel the boil of anxiety in her gut as she dashed down the sidewalk to her car, almost falling into the driver’s seat. The cops were on their way. Get the hell out of here.

Practically peeling out of the parallel spot, she slid into the morning traffic, only vaguely aware that she’d cut off someone in her rush to get back onto the road and away from the apartment building. She normally would listen to the radio, but she needed the silence to hear herself think. Maybe detour to her place so she could grab some food. She had an old cooler that had been used for camping a few times. Take out had been good, but it was becoming costly buying enough for her and the boy. The cooler was big enough for a few days worth of food. She only needed enough to get through the rest of the day and if the boy came around and wanted food, she could make him something from her own stash.

What the hell was she going to do if Chloe was gone? And who the hell had taken her? She’d seen numerous things inside Chloe’s place that seemed to reflect a certain level of wealth but it was clear that whoever had broken into the apartment hadn’t been there to steal. Chloe’s clothing had been torn from her and left near the sofa. Imprints of shoes in one of the sofa cushions. Christ, why was she shaking now? Icy cold sweat broke out all over, her hands now slick on the steering wheel as she tried desperately to focus on the road. Who could it have been? Though the voice of reason said this was getting too deep and she needed to just dump the boy off and run, she shoved those thoughts back as far as she could. Would Niccals and Hailey be so bold as to attack Chloe in her home? She didn’t want to believe it possible because Hailey was a scrapper, sure, but she didn’t go looking for trouble. How would they have figured out Chloe’s connection to the whole mess anyway? Had Niccals manipulated her to assist him? Would she willingly help him? Alicia knew he was a slime and it wasn’t too much of a stretch to assume he would have manipulated Hailey into helping him harm someone. She’d been with him for five years, long enough to be completely under his thumb and unable to escape. But if she was also desperate to find their son, she might not give two shits about how he was willing to go. Alicia shook her head. Hailey remained because she had a free ride. No doubt she loved the boy but people like her spit out and abandoned kids all the time. Even Niccals had a batch of kids he’d never bothered with. The kid was nothing to him but a way to keep Hailey close and rub it into Alicia’s face how he’d been able to take something from her.

Reaching her apartment building, she parked in the multi-level parking garage across the street and ran from the car, across the street and through the lobby doors. She needed to hurry. She needed to get back to the shop in case the boy awoke. What if something was wrong with him? She’d beaten him unconscious and he’d been unconscious for nearly two days. What if he didn’t wake? Could she follow through with all of this and give Niccals back a beaten and half dead child? They wouldn’t agree to anything at that point. The whole point of needing Chloe was to make sure the exchange went forward and if Niccals or Hailey tried anything, there was someone watching from afar to call the police if necessary. That had always been the back up plan. Have the police on the ready in case their plan went tits up, which was a high possibility given the terms they were seeking.

The elevator ride up to her floor was an anxious and silent ride until it finally deposited her onto her her floor. Unlocking her door and rushing into her unit, she collapsed onto her sofa a moment, staring up at the ceiling. She needed rest. After sleeping in that cold, damp and insanely uncomfortable shop basement on and off for the past few days, the sofa felt like a fucking dream come true. She could pass out right here. Just a few moments of shut eye is all she needed. What did they call those – a power nap? Sighing to herself, she let her eye-lids droop, almost smiling at the darkness and comfort. Flickers of dreams that made no sense followed by the familiar weightlessness that came with the bliss of deep sleep soon enveloped her. She most likely wouldn’t remember whatever she dreamt about, but that was not her concern. Just a good hour or two of rest was all she wanted.

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been asleep. When her eyes snapped open, she became acutely aware that someone was in her apartment. She could hear footsteps and the shuffle of papers. Raising herself up from her now slumped over position on the sofa, she blinked a few times to focus, freezing when she realized she was seeing Jason in the dining room going through all the paperwork and photos. All the recent stuff Chloe had acquired, including pics taken the day before they’d snatched the boy. Upon seeing that she was awake, Jason raised his gaze to hers, glaring as he tossed the paperwork to the coffee table. “What is all of this, Ali?”

“What are you doing in my home?” she croaked, groaning as she stretched herself out. “How’d you get in here?” She felt foggy and a little woozy. How long had she been asleep? And how did Jason get into her apartment? Did she forget to lock the door? Sitting up, she blearily stared at the documents he’d tossed to the coffee table, the photos Chloe had gotten of Niccals and Hailey with the boy at the Science Center. “Why are you going through my things, Jason?”

Jason was back at the dining room table and going through more documents. “Christ, Ali...where did you get all of this and how did you get all these photos? How long have you been following them?” He didn’t look angry, which initially surprised Alicia, but he looked concerned. Worried. What was she supposed to tell him at this point? He had just now found proof that she was balls deep in keeping tabs on Niccals, Hailey and their son. If something went to shit, he would go to the police. How did she plan to explain this away if the police showed up at her home and saw all of this? He grabbed another stack of documents from the table, skimming over them. “You found all of this? What are some of these anyway? These look official and some of those photos...they’re from 2010 and 2011. How in the hell did you get access to these, Ali? These are Interpol reports and photos.”

“How I obtained them isn’t your concern,” she said through a massive yawn, trying to wake herself up. “I found them and that’s all that matters. But I found enough to know that she needs to get far far away from him, even if it means leaving the boy with him too.”

“You’ve lost your fucking mind,” he muttered with a strange laugh. “I mean, knew you’d become obsessed, but I had no idea you’d gotten in this deep. This is insane, Ali. Fucking insane. How the hell did you get your hands on Interpol files?” He set the documents aside and dropped down into one of the dining table chairs, his voice coming out strained as if he were on the verge of tears. “Why? Just why, Ali? Why can’t you accept that she doesn’t want anything to do with you?”

“She doesn’t know what she wants,” Alicia said as she got to her feet. “We’ve been over this, Jason. She needs us and the only way she will realize this is when we get her away from him and keep him away.” She wasn’t sure why she kept repeating herself. She’d told him this countless times and he’d always brushed her off. Dismissed her. Nobody had taken her seriously. Well, once she got Hailey back, would they take her seriously then? Once she’d had the chance to ensure Hailey understood her place and where she belonged and was no longer a flight risk? The hardest part would be ensuring Hailey stayed away from Niccals in an effort to contact her son. Alicia wasn’t sure how she planned to do this. But once she had Hailey back and Hailey herself acknowledged that she belonged here and was wrong to leave, would everyone finally realize that Alicia had been right all along?

“Alicia, she is married to the man and has a child with him,” Jason barked, no longer looking concerned. He looked angry now. “She isn’t going to just drop them both like hot coals to go back to being your fucking sidekick.”

Rising up from the sofa, she gathered the papers he’d tossed onto the coffee table and stalked past him to the dining room and dropped them onto the table before returning back to her place on the sofa. She wasn’t in the mood to argue about this any further. He knew where she stood on the matter and he could either accept it or leave her fucking house. “Hailey belongs here in Seattle, Jason. You know this. I know this. And deep down, she fucking knows this. Whatever kind of life he’s given her, it’s a fraud and it will come crashing down around him eventually. The only way she will be safe is when she’s here, by my side where she fucking belongs!”

The expressions on his face shifted, as if he couldn’t seem to find the right emotion as he allowed her words to sink in. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he exhaled loudly and shook his head. “You really think she’s going to abandon her family just to make you feel whole again?"

“I already feel whole,” she snapped, taken aback at the remark. So she’d feel whole? Hailey was a lost and broken woman who needed them all to help her. _She_ was the one who had a part of her missing. _She_ was the one who was broken. “I’ve always felt whole. It’s Hailey who needs me.”

“You’ve been saying that for years, Ali,” he whispered, his hardened expression softening. “Always going on how Hailey needs you, but I think it’s the other way around. _You_ need her and you don’t feel whole unless she’s here with you. Having her here gives you purpose and with her gone, you feel like you don’t have a purpose.” He sifted through the stacks of paperwork, tears in his eyes as he help up a print off of a photo of Hailey with Murdoc and their son, a picture taken by Interpol while they’d been tailed in Paris. “She doesn’t need you, Ali. And you need to accept that she is gone and move on.” Sighing, he wiped at his eyes and let the photo drop to the table. “I’m so worried about you, Ali. You’ve taken this a lot further than I thought. You’re gonna end up in jail if you keep this up, hon. I don’t want to see you get hurt, but you really need to take stock in everything that happened and accept your part in the friendship dissolving.”

Alicia said nothing, refusing to meet his gaze. Hearing the threat of tears in his voice brought a strange feeling. Her throat felt tight and her eyes burned. Why the emotion now? She wanted so badly to tell him everything and see if he could help her make it right but if she told him what happened and what she’d done to the boy, he wouldn’t hesitate to contact the police. He might very well get in touch with the police after leaving her place. He’d found enough proof to at least show the authorities that she’d been stalking Hailey and Niccals. Photos and notes taken by Chloe as she trailed them in the city. Photos taken mere days ago. The floor plans of their townhouse. The realtor listing of the vacant unit, proof she’d even been to their very home. And some of the documents weren’t even legally obtained. The Interpol information had been obtained by Chloe and Lord knew the woman was shady as hell. She had the money and connections to get this stuff. But they weren’t in Chloe’s possession, were they? The police would find it all in her possession and would want to know just how she got it. Chloe was now missing and the police would start looking into that. Phone records would be obtained and soon they’d start sniffing around her. They’d want to know what they were talking about in the messages. Want to know why she had property listings for an abandoned store that hadn’t been in operation for over two decades. It would all come out, wouldn’t it?

Jason’s voice brought her back to herself, no longer that strange leveled voice with the edge that hinted on irritation. It was strained, fighting back emotions that were rising too close to the surface. “How far have you taken this, Ali? What’s going on?” When her eyes met his, she looked away. He got to his feet and approached her slowly, kneeling down in front of her. When his hands touched her face, she sighed at the touch, remembering a time not long ago when he’s cradle her face like this. Meeting his eyes, she struggled to keep the tears at bay, feeling them well and fall. He stared back at her, his own eyes glassy with fresh tears. “Please tell me you didn’t do anything stupid, Ali. Please tell me you’ve stayed away from them...”

Alicia took a shaky breath as more tears fell. There was no way she could let him in on what had happened but just being here dragged him into the middle of it all and she didn’t want him caught in this crossfire. “I need you to leave, Jason. You need to leave now.” He blinked, drawing back from her slowly and getting to his feet with a grunt. She looked up at him, feeling too many different emotions and unable to verbalize them. His presence threatened everything and she needed him far away from here. She did not need him dragged into this simply from being in her general circle. “Please go,” she whispered.

He raked a hand through his hair, now looking around the apartment with a lost look on his face. More tears falling as he sniffed and attempted to collect himself. She couldn’t remember any time before where he seemed so lost and confused. He had no idea just how deep things had gotten and she wanted to ensure it remained that way. His focus returned to the dining room table area and all the documents and maps tacked up on the walls. She kept her gaze on the floor, unwilling to meet his fleeting glances as he slowly made his way to the front door. Hopefully he would keep away so she could finish this. Hopefully he would leave it all alone and simply walk away. He wasn’t involved in this and just being in this room with her brought him in up to his eyeballs. Though it was only seconds, it had felt like time had stopped entirely as he slowly inched his way to the front door, still looking at her as if something in her expression would tell him what was really happening. He knew something was going on. He could sense it. His body language and expressions didn’t lie. Once he left this apartment, he was a risk. He’d always been a risk. Too aware of her searches. Too aware of her need. What would she tell him if it all falls apart? What could she say once Hailey was back with them. Could it be like old times again? The three of them at Curry’s, having fun and giving the bartender Toby grief. No, they’d never have that again. Her and Jason were no more. But at least she’d have Hailey back and that was all that mattered. What about Chloe? The woman was missing and police were probably at her apartment right at this moment searching through it all. Would the neighbors inform them of the tall friend who came searching after a missed coffee date? Would they eventually come to her doorstep to ask what she knew?

Alicia sighed heavily as Jason slipped out of the apartment and left her alone with her own thoughts and a crushing silence. She could only hope that he wouldn’t try to find out what was going on. He might come back with the police, though. His concern was plain on his face and she could tell that he suspected something, even if he wasn’t fully aware of how far things had gone. If the police come to her home and take everything she and Chloe had acquired in their research of the Niccals, they would no doubt link Chloe to her and with Chloe missing, a whole new can of worms would be opened up. They’d want to know if Chloe’s disappearance was linked to whatever they’d been plotting. She didn’t think this was possible because they had yet to reveal themselves to Niccals and Hailey, and Chloe had burned so many fucking bridges through her life, a list of potential suspects could be a mile long. She took a breath and got to her feet. It was almost two in the afternoon and this meant her nap had turned into almost five hours of sleep. Get the cooler and get the food ready. She needed to get back and check on the boy. It was time to wrap this up and hopefully move on with Hailey back at her side where she belonged.


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: SEXUAL ASSAULT REFERENCES

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

There was no denying the tension in the room. It was thick and heavy and every single one of them were on edge. Though Murdoc had wanted his friends to stay far away from their home while this was going down, it was a given the sods would refuse to listen. This was something that he and Hailey had to settle and he didn’t want his friends involved. Neither did Hailey. The only thing Russel, Dents and Noodle needed to maintain was that he and Hailey had been visiting them and had stayed until after two in the morning before heading home. This was only if the alibi was needed and the only real involvement they’d expected of their friends. Christ, they really were the best mates a mug like him could ask for, weren’t they? Willing to cover for him like this. They didn’t have to do this but they were more than willing to lie for them. There were days when Murdoc could only thank the universe for the mates he’d been given, especially after all he’d done through the years.

They were fully aware that he and Hailey had someone bound and gagged down in their garage. Someone that they’d ambushed in her own home. It had been a strangely surreal hour or two in the woman’s home. Fucking damned near intoxicating. Being able to terrorize her, see her fear as they dominated her. Grinding against her and taking in her scent as she sobbed and screamed. Her struggles and cries better than any drug or drink he could find. And what had made it all the more better was seeing that same dark gleam in Hailey’s eyes, knowing that she might very well give the green light that would allow him to over power and ravage that bitch. Though reason did say that he most likely wouldn’t have actually assaulted the woman, just the idea that he possibly _could_ had been enough for him to almost blow his load. To feel the bitch struggle. To see her terror. _Smell_ her terror. Knowing that she had no idea how far they’d go as he pressed his erection against her groin and rump. Holy fuck, he’d been so hard from all of it. If they hadn’t been pressed for time, he might very well have taken Hailey in one of the bitch’s back rooms, but being able to grind against the bitch and possibly blow like that would have been just as good. They’d cut their game short because remaining in the bitch’s apartment had been too risky, but that hadn’t stopped Hailey from swallowing his cock once they were in the front seat of their car with the red-headed cunt bound and gagged in the boot outside the apartment building.

Russel had called around ten or eleven in the morning, rousing Murdoc from what might have been only three or four hours of slumber. By early afternoon, the whole fucking crew was at the house and deaf to his and Hailey’s insistence that they stay far the fuck away. It was for their protection. Should anything happen and the authorities get involved, he did not want his friends caught in that crossfire. Being at the townhouse put them all at risk now. At least Russel had been smart and had insisted Kylie remain at the hotel. But poor Stu looked pale and ill. Murdoc wondered if seeing the woman bound and strung up on a utility hook in their garage had been just too much for him to take, not that Murdoc necessarily blamed him. Dents had never really fully recovered from their near-death experience at the hands of the Black Clouds back on Point Nemo. He, Hailey and Dents had faced certain death and had escaped by pure luck alone. So seeing someone bound up and beaten had probably triggered some sort of PTSD type shit for the lad.

“Has she talked yet?” Russel asked, finally breaking the strange and tense silence. He frowned when Murdoc shook his head. “Is it possible you have the wrong person?”

Murdoc got to his feet and went to the kitchen where the bitch’s over-sized handbag was, pulling out the iPhone. “Bird’s got a ton of messages from the Amazon, talkin’ ‘bout a _little rat_.” He held up the phone and tossed it onto the counter. “Only thin’ they didn’t talk ‘bout was where they’re hidin’ him.” There was little doubt they’d gotten the right person. The text messages were mostly vague and loosely coded, but it wasn’t too difficult to realize their coded talk was about he, Hailey and their son. Talk of how to flush out the _big rats_ and how they needed to use the_ little rat_ as bait. Mention of the marina. The one message that had twigged Murdoc’s attention was something about how the_ little rat_ still wasn’t awake. What did they mean by that? Was Alec hurt? What had enraged him the most was their captive in the garage refused to tell him what the message meant. It was a simple _yes_ or _no_, as far as he was concerned and this bitch was in _no position_ to stonewall them. But stonewall she did, refusing to even hint what the message could mean. Hailey had warned him ahead of time that Turner was one of those who would use something against another and to not be surprised by anything she says or does. Refusing to talk could mean anything with her, whether it was an ace up her sleeve they didn’t know about or simply ammunition to use in an effort to save her own ass. But this had confused him even more because if she was hoping to save her own sorry hide, why not just spill the beans on shit? Why the hell did women play games like this? One big mind fuck, that’s all it was. Fucking games. This bitch knew where Alec was and based off the messages found, had been involved since the beginning. She was going to talk one way or another, come hell or fucking high water.

“I understand that, Murdoc,” Russel said in a low voice. “But what if she never spits it out? What will you do then, Muds? You can’t keep her captive forever.” Of course Russel would bring this up, something both Murdoc and Hailey had tried to avoid. Much like Noodle, Russ had always been the reasonable one. Had his moments, just as they all did, but he’d almost always been the voice of reason when they were all ready to lose their minds at one another.

“Well, we can’t very well release her now, can we?” Murdoc snapped, scrubbing his hands across his face. “Dunno, mate. Dunno what we plan t’ do if she refuses t’ talk. Reckon we’ll cross that bridge when we get there, yeah?” Neither he nor Hailey had gotten that far ahead. They’d found enough proof to know Turner was involved and were willing to take it as far as necessary in order to get the information out of her. But what about if she talks or if she doesn’t talk? What were they going to do with her? Keeping her locked up in the garage for days or even weeks was out of the question. He frowned, his gaze on the countertop and the woman’s now slightly battered iPhone. He wasn’t going to stress himself over _what if_ at this point. They needed to focus on _the now_. She was here and she was going to tell them where she and the Amazon were hiding his son. Figure out what to do with her later. “Sorry, mate...just not feelin’ very well. Lot goin’ on in m’ head an’ all I want is t’ find my boy.”

Russel nodded, but said nothing further. Murdoc was grateful for this because he didn’t need Russel dropping anymore random possibilities that they hadn’t considered that would only succeed in freaking them all out. Murdoc was already tightly wound as it was. In all honesty, he wanted them all gone so he and Hailey could focus their attention onto the bitch in the garage. Speaking of Hailey, she was sitting quietly at the dining room table, nursing a mug of hot coffee with a cigarette burning in her fingers, her eyes glazed and distant as she looked out the glass sliding door. She’d gleefully helped him with the woman – even offering up suggestions of her own – but had fallen quiet since their friends had arrived. No doubt she was as exhausted as he was and sorting through her thoughts in her own way. His gaze dropped to the hand holding the coffee mug, dully noting that her fingers were bloody. Did she hurt herself or was that from when she was using the pliers to break Turner’s fingers? He couldn’t even remember anymore. Had their mates noticed the blood on her fingers?

“What ‘bout dat Alicia bird?” Stu suggested, breaking the weird stretch of silence. “Did you try her place?”

Hailey perked her head up, looking at them all now as if she were just now noticing them. “Dropped by there on the way back here. Locks were changed.” Draining what remained in her mug, she got to her feet and ventured out the slider to the patio with her cigarettes in hand. She wasn’t going to go into it further and Murdoc could understand why. She considered lock picking a pretty valuable skill, even if rarely used. He’d been more surprised at how quick she was, able to get through the heavy fire exit at Turner’s apartment building in seconds flat. But the moment they’d reached the Amazon’s apartment, the expression on her face had spoken volumes. The lock had indeed been changed and it was some expensive fancy number that apparently was almost impossible to pick. Well, not completely impossible, but would take a great deal of time and that had been one thing they did _not_ have at that moment.

“We’re pretty sure she’s with Alec,” Murdoc said firmly, lighting a cigarette at the slider. “Based off the text messages on that blasted phone, she’s the one who has been mainly stayin’ with Alec. Hunkered down somewhere in the city. We just dunno where yet.”

Noodle was looking over at Hailey through the slider. She’d been mostly silent through the visit, not yet willing to share whatever thoughts she might have on the matter. Murdoc knew she was thinking, probably taking in all the information they’d been tossing around. His gaze fell to the bump that her shirt barely concealed. Was all of this now making her anxious about her own child? Seeing the lengths some could go just to cause pain? When he’d first emerged after being under the radar for a few years, the fans had lost their collective minds that he was attached to someone and had a child. There’d been no shortage of hate mail directed at Hailey even with his solicitor actually trying to sift through it all. And he knew that a lot of people had a great deal to say when it was discovered that Dents and Noods were an item. Accusations that Stu had been improper with her as a teenager. Saying he’d groomed her, even as an adult! All because there was a significant age gap and this supposedly meant it was a power imbalance and he was a predator. Never mind the fact that Noodle could kick his lanky arse if she was so inclined to, it was poor Stu who faced the brunt of this modern wave of social justice. And Noodle being pregnant probably scared them even more because fans were rabid unstable beasts when you didn’t maintain the image they’ve upheld in their head for years and years. What was to stop some mental fanboy from trying to kidnap her or do some kind of harm that might cause her to lose the pregnancy? Murdoc had lost count of how many grown fucking men had approached her when they’d been touring during their second album. Some of them near Murdoc’s age, demanding an audience with her and proclaiming themselves her soulmate. It had been kind of laughable then because the majority had been basement dwelling neck-beards who spent more time fapping to My Little Pony than actually talking to a woman and the dangers hadn’t been too obvious because they were all riding high on their success and blind. Amazing how age and life changes made you look back on those things and see them in a much different light.

Murdoc wanted to thank whatever deities were out there for their luck in finding out who was behind taking Alec and even more thankful it wasn’t some psychotic fan. Granted, having it be his partner’s psychotic ex-mate wasn’t any better. Was it that different, though? A psychotic fan could attempt to cause harm to get him all to themselves. Hailey’s former mate was attempting to cause harm to get Hailey all to herself. One in the same when you got right fucking down to it. Alicia wanted him and Alec out of the picture and given how unstable she’d become over them running off five years ago, he didn’t want to think of how much further she might take this if she felt he and Alec were too much of a threat to whatever fantasy she’d built up in her head. The strangest part of it all was that the woman had no romantic inclinations towards Hailey. At least, none that he’d caught on to then or even now. Alicia appeared to have simply refused to accept that the friendship was no more and was convinced Hailey needed their friendship for whatever warped reasons she’d come up with in her head. An idea that Hailey was incapable of living her life without Alicia there to help her. Though it was patronizing, if not downright insulting, Murdoc couldn’t help but be curious about how such ideals found foothold. Upon meeting Alicia briefly those few times before their big blow out, there’d been nothing that hinted she was unbalanced in any way. Little overbearing perhaps, but not mental. Yet something had taken hold in her head as the days had progressed and eventually had turned into whatever the hell this was that led to her thinking kidnapping their son was a way to keep Hailey to her.

Noodle slowly pushed herself up from the sofa, grimacing as she stretched her back and arms. “You know my thoughts on violence, Murdoc. Normally I would tell you that is has no place in a civilized world.” She stood in front of him, staring up through a veil of dark hair. “But we are dealing with a situation that most would agree is the exception. This person knows where Alec is and is refusing to give us this information. They have violated the most sacred of bonds. You and Hailey do what you feel you need to do in order to get that information. I only ask that you wait until Stuart and I leave the house. I cannot be a party to this, not even as a bystander.”

Taking a breath, he raked his hand through his hair. He could work with this. Matter of fact, this was what he and Hailey had preferred from the get-go but everyone had insisted on showing up for what he could only assume was some kind of moral support. Okay, great, thanks for sticking by our sides, but we need to go back down there and finish breaking bones. Cheers, mates! Get their friends out of the house so they could go back downstairs and wake up their guest from her wee nap. One could reason allowing their captive to rest and sleep a bit might actually help and make her a bit more forthcoming. Not to mention the simple fact that they didn’t want her to pass out from shock or heart failure from whatever other torture they could cook up. They weren’t complete monsters, obviously. “Whatever, Noods. If you an’ the Face-ache here need t’ leave before we take this t’ the next level, then I’d recommend you leave now. We’re gonna finish this today.”

***********************************

It started as a few little noises that were almost dismissed as nothing more than random building noises but when they increased in frequency, Alicia finally perked her head up from the table. She almost couldn’t believe her ears or eyes in those moments, seeing a bruised but very conscious Alec lift his head up, whimpering as he looked around the room. It took a long moment for her to realize the whimpers she was hearing were words. _Wanna go home. Mumma. Da. Dun’ like dis an’more_. Tears falling down his bruised and dirty cheeks when it became clear he was still in the old basement with her. He brought a shaky hand up and patted at his ribs, whimpering some more as he shook his head. Alicia diverted her gaze to the floor, not wanting to see the damage she’d done. He was bruised everywhere. One eye open but bruised, the other eye swollen shut. Even his little mouth was bruised and swollen, blood staining his quivering lips. The bruising was everywhere it seemed. His hands, his arms and – judging by the way he winced when he touched his ribs – his body as well. She didn’t want to believe she was responsible for his battered condition but the proof was laying there in front of her, sobbing pitifully into the blankets.

It was mid-afternoon and she didn’t know what else to do. Part of her insisted she follow through with the drop off but another part of her kept whispering that something wasn’t right and she needed to just cut her losses and run. Had the cops gone through Chloe’s apartment yet? She figured it was only a matter of time before they reached out to her. How long did it take to get a warrant for phone records anyway? Alicia tried to remember if she’d seen that obscenely large purse Chloe always carried. Had she seen it laying anywhere? Maybe whoever had gotten in the apartment had taken her somewhere to clean out her bank account? Alicia frowned, staring down at her phone. Should she try to call Chloe again just to see if she might actually pick up? Christ, what the fuck was she supposed to do. She couldn’t go through this alone because if Hailey and Niccals decided to sabotage the exchange, who was going to be the backup to ensure they followed through with getting the police involved?

Alec was still crying, his hands shaking against the blankets. He refused to look at her and she wasn’t entirely surprised by this. He was terrified of her and had every reason to be. Though she was aware that she was the one who’d hurt him, she didn’t want to acknowledge this. It was all an act, right? Four year olds make mountains out of molehills all the time. Probably faked it all. He kept whimpering about his body, complaining of pain when he breathed in and fuzzy pain in his head. Why were his hands shaking? It was all an act, she insisted. Just faking it all. She didn’t hurt him that bad. Just a few well deserved smacks to shut him up. No different than Chloe striking him days before. It doesn’t explain why he was out cold for damned near two days, but kids were good actors right? Always exaggerating shit. Like Hailey, acting like she could do whatever she wanted because of the things she’d gone through as a kid. Kids think bad things give them license to act however they want. Alec will probably retell all of this to a therapist in thirty years when he can’t have a decent relationship with his father, hold down a job or find a girlfriend. Blame it all on the women who took him and the mother who abandoned him to resume her old life.

You’re the one trying to force Hailey’s hand, a voice whispered in the back of her head. Hailey isn’t going to drop it all to pick things back up with you. She won’t willingly abandon Alec. And even if you can force it, what makes you think you can maintain tabs on her to ensure she never tries to contact the boy or go back to him and Niccals? Niccals has money and you don’t. He could easily get her out of Seattle again and the three of them would disappear. Could she contact the authorities? Would she? She wanted to believe that she would, but all Niccals would have to do is lawyer up and he’d be practically untouchable. Even if Interpol wanted his ass for the shit they suspected him of, the word of a bitter former friend who was mad she couldn’t manipulate his wife into abandoning him and their son wouldn’t go that far. They’d laugh her off and give him a slap on the wrist. Probably just tell him to get Hailey’s paperwork straightened out and pay a fine. This was how the authorities handled those with money.

But Chloe had insisted it would all be enough to throw him in prison and possibly Hailey too. Insisted that the threat of prison time would scare them enough to cooperate and do as they demanded. The more Alicia thought about this the more she realized that Chloe couldn’t have been further from the truth. Her biases had shown in those moments, believing that Niccals and Hailey were degenerate low-lifes who wouldn’t hesitate to save their own hides over their child. And worse yet, Alicia had allowed this to feed into her own biases against Niccals and people like him and Hailey. Believing that Hailey would abandon her son or that Niccals would cut her loose like a hot coal to save his hide and get the boy back. There was no way she’d be able to fully control Hailey and this was exactly what she’d hoped she could do. Keep Hailey by her side under threat of prison, of her son being taken from his father and into a care system that had nearly destroyed Hailey. Believing that she could use these threats to maintain compliance. Happy to get back any scrap of Hailey, even if only her physical presence. Never mind that she would have been little more than a shell. How far would Alicia take it to keep her there, though? Install locks on her bedroom so she couldn’t escape? Have her deemed incompetent so she would be fully under Alicia’s control? Restraining orders against Niccals to ensure he couldn’t attempt to contact her? Her gaze fell back on the boy. Ever sob and whimper caused twinges in her gut she couldn’t shake. He was really hurting right now. He wanted his parents. Both of his parents. Yet here she was trying to figure out a solid way to ensure his mother could never contact him again. And there wasn’t even a way she could enforce this. Why not just admit defeat, hand the boy back and walk away?

Because there would be no walking away from this, would there? She and Chloe had plotted in depth. She had stalked Hailey and her family. Chloe had documented their comings and goings. Alicia had broken into their home to get the layout and had even fudged with the lower door to ensure she could get back in. They stole the boy from his bedroom and had kept him hidden away for days. Alicia had harmed the boy. Chloe was now missing and probably hurt. Moaning, Alicia rocked back in the chair, tears springing to her eyes and falling down her cheeks. Why did Hailey have to make it all so fucking difficult? If she’d just fucking listened to Alicia from the beginning, steered clear of the roach and actually understood her place and that Alicia was only looking out for her... This was her fault for insisting on being difficult and his fucking fault for butting himself into their lives. If she’d only done as Alicia wanted, none of this would have ever happened! Alicia gritted her teeth against the wave of anger that threatened. His fault. He got between them. He took her away. And Hailey allowed it. Too broken and weak to see what was happening. She needed to know where she belonged!

Rising up from the chair, she tuned out the child’s whimpered cries and grabbed her cigarettes. Maybe getting out of the room would help clear her head. Though tuning him out wasn’t difficult, removing herself entirely was necessary if she wanted to think. She could feel his stare on her back as she exited the room and secured the door behind her. What had happened to Chloe? Where had she gone? This was the other thing that wouldn’t leave her alone. It would only be a matter of time before the police contacted her. The thing that continued to nag in the back recesses of her mind was the shredded clothing on the floor and how nothing of value appeared to have been taken. Was it possible Alec’s parents had figured out who was behind taking him? She didn’t think this was a possibility but she had to keep herself open to anything. Chloe had screwed over a lot of people through the years, so it was possible that Niccals and Hailey were just more names on a growing list of people who probably wanted the woman’s head on a pike. She’d seen no blood in the apartment, but the cushions of the sofa had been disturbed and she’d seen what appeared to be boot or shoe prints of some kind. There’d also been that alarming sensation she couldn’t shake. Something awful had happened. The atmosphere of the apartment screamed that something horrible had happened. She could feel it deep down to her bones.

She reached the main level of the shop and paused near the back entrance. It actually surprised her at how small the main level was. No bigger than a convenience store. But that was probably what it was in a former life. A simple corner store that catered to the few residential homes that had existed in this area at the time. Most had been shuttered and demolished after being vacant for a decade or more and she honestly was surprised that the shop was still standing. Chloe had mentioned that her father had mostly forgotten about the property. He’d purchased large swaths of properties through-out this part of the city and had originally planned on leveling them out to install some luxury units but the city had put his plans to a halt due to some red tape. Instead of selling them, he simply put them on a back burner until whenever. And that had been two decades ago. Shame the shop and its neighboring buildings had fallen to ruin but at the same time it was kind of hard to not be thankful. It had given them a perfect space to hide in, especially since the old shop had a basement. They could have lights on or whatever and nobody would really notice.

Alicia frowned as she lit a cigarette and stepped out into the alley behind the old shop. She was letting herself get distracted. She needed to figure out what her plan was. Go through with the exchange or run for it. She had to assume that Chloe’s disappearance was the result of foul play of some kind. Whether it was Niccals or some other rando she’d fucked over was irrelevant. Assume the worse and go from there. The boy was conscious now and that was a good sign, even if he was in rough shape. She couldn’t let her sympathy get the better of her. If Hailey and Niccals were going to take her seriously, she needed to nut up and be ready.

***********************************

Sighing, Murdoc dropped into the chair he’d brought downstairs. He was grateful for the drink Hailey had brought him as well as a single vicotin pill. He had a headache and was growing increasingly weary of Turner’s stonewalling. He was running out of ideas that wouldn’t make her pass out from shock or outright kill her and this had enraged him further. They’d done quite a bit to the woman already. Hailey had broken several fingers. She’d made incisions so he could push bolt cutters in and snap Chloe’s ribs. He’d filled a bucket with tap water to plunge her head into and hold her down until she was wild. And yet the bitch continued to mock them and refuse to give up where she and Alicia were hiding their son. What reasons she had for continuing to block them, they had yet to know. One would assume she’d spit it all out to save her hide. Hailey was convinced the woman had some larger scheme up her sleeve though he couldn’t, for the life of him, figure out what that could be. Whatever plans she’d had with the Amazon obviously were going up in smoke.

Sipping gingerly from the glass, he tossed the pill into his mouth. The woman was still hanging from the utility hook, bleeding everywhere. They’d laid some tarps down to make sure clean up wouldn’t be a huge issues. Glad Hailey had suggested the tarps because there was a growing puddle of blood at the woman’s feet. Her face had been mostly spared and he was still shocked at how pretty she was. She actually was quite the looker. What threw the whole image off was the woman’s eyes. Icy blue, almost grey and they were cold and walled off. Eyes that calculated everything around her to determine the best mark. Hailey had mentioned that she’d always targeted newbies at the office, befriending them and manipulating them to do what she wanted. What baffled him the most was her drive to go after Hailey over something that had happened five years ago. What kind of drive did this woman have to continue to want to stick it to someone she’d felt wronged her so many years back? They hadn’t spoken to one another since the last time they’d been in the office together and by all appearances, the woman had moved on. She’d gotten another job, still had her expensive luxury apartment, still acted as if she were royalty in the presence of peasants. Yet, when presented with the opportunity to cause an old adversary pain, she jumped on it.

Rising from the chair, he approached the bound woman, peering at her passive face and closed eyes. Amazing how calm and quaint one looks when they’re resting. She was shivering from the chill in the air, her bra and panties soaked and clinging to her small frame. He had been surprised at how petite she was when they’d ambushed her in the apartment, standing several inches shorter than him. Quite fit, though, he had to give her that. Clearly took care of herself. He reached out and batted at a breast, fleeting thoughts of what it might feel like to really grope at it. His hand moved before his brain could catch up, grasping around it and massaging it. The chill had her nipples hard beneath the fabric of the bra. He closed his eyes and continued to massage it, rolling the nipple with his thumb and feeling familiar warmth in his jeans. Hmm, this was nice. A spectacularly perfect B-cup. Fit right into his hand. Willing himself down, he took a step back and examined her over carefully. Entertaining as this was, he wanted her awake. He wanted to see the terror in her eyes as he manhandled her. He wanted to be able to see and smell her fear as his touch violated her. He didn’t want to take it further by actually assaulting her, just grope, massage, maybe some nibbles and then wank off a bit to get her riled up. See how far he was willing to go to terrorize her.

Releasing his grip on her breast, he returned his focus to her passive face. “Oi,” he snapped, slapping her lightly, “time t’ wake your arse up, lovey. We’re not done here.” The muscles in her face twitched, a low groan escaping from her as her brow knitted together. When she went still again, he slapped her again, harder this time. “C’mon, I dun’ have all fuckin’ day, cunt. Wake the hell up.” One eye opened, staring at him a moment before the other eye opened up. Seconds ticked by as she slowly took in what was around her before her gaze falling back to him. Groaning and shifting against the restraints, she shook her head and dropped her gaze to the floor. He cracked a cruel smile and reached out, grasping her chin so he could keep her face focused on him. “Told you, Turner, this will all end when you tell us where you an’ the Amazon are keepin’ Alec hidden. All you have t’ do is just tell me where he is.”

Chloe chewed her lower lip, her eyes fixed on him. He could almost hear the gears working as she absorbed his words. Maybe she was weighing her options finally. It would all end when she finally spoke up. It didn’t necessarily mean he would release her – they were in too fucking deep now for that – but her pain and fear would certainly end. Her mouth moved, the words coming out in a harsh whisper. “Do what the letter says or we get the cops involved...”

A humorless chuckle erupted from him as he took another drink from the glass. The vicotin was kicking in nicely, his aching muscles and headache now fading back and hardly noticeable anymore. This was the umpteenth time she’d said this. _Do what the letter says_....what the fuck ever. Who the hell was she kidding at this point? Assuming Chloe was the key player in this, how far did the Amazon actually think they would be able to take this? Someone had to be there for the exchange at the marina, right? Wasn’t too difficult to assume one would be at the marina while the other would be in the wings with the cops on speed dial in the event the exchange went tits up. “Listen, you’re in no position t’ make threats, woman. An’ quite frankly, I’m beginnin’ t’ lose my fuckin’ patience.” He gave her chin a hard squeeze, grinning maliciously when she cried out and tried to pull her head away. “Tell us where you’re hidin’ our boy.”

“Fuck you,” she hissed, ripping her face away from his grip. “Fuck you and your gutter rat wife. Wanna see your son taken from you for good? Growing up and forgetting who you even are? Keep fucking around. If I don’t show up at the exchange tonight, she will call the police and Interpol.”

Gritting his teeth, Murdoc turned away from the woman. He was done fucking around. She wanted to dance circles, he would cut her at the knees. “You know somethin’...I dealt with uptight birds like you m’ entire fuckin’ life. Flashy, gold diggin’ cunts who didn’t give me the time of day until I made it big. Matter of fact, I recall a few I’d known as a teen who laughed in m’ face when I expressed interest in school but had turned in t’ groupie slags wanting t’ ride my dick once I became famous.” He could feel her eyes on his back as he went rummaging around through some boxes. “Let me tell you...they regretted it the moment I had them in m’ hotel room or dressin’ room. Wettin’ their knickers when they saw the heat I was packin’ an’ crying by the time I was done with them. Not so uptight when you get eight inches rammed up your arse.” The box was buried towards the back, Hailey simple print in a sharpie marker: _Our Toys_. Smiling, he pulled the box over and opened it up. “Poppet an’ I like t’ experiment with thins’ now an’ ‘gain.” He held up a massive dildo, frowning at the not so distant memory of it. Hailey had purchased it as sort of a joke, if he recalled, but it hadn’t changed the fact that he honestly had taken it as a bit of a low blow. It was massive in girth and at least a few inches longer than his. He couldn’t fathom how anyone could take that thing. But Hailey had no interest in actually using it, she’d bought it because she’d been stoned at the time and had found the idea of owning it funny. “I tend t’ think that maybe if you took it up the arse a bit, you might not be so fuckin’ uptight. Care t’ test that theory?”

Grabbing a roll of tape, he tore strips away and pressed them against her mouth. She was struggling against the restraints now, muffled cries heard through the tape. Squirming against the wall as he pressed close to reach up and pull her hands from the hook. If she kept moving around a bit, he couldn’t promise he wouldn’t pull himself off while he pressed that damned dildo deep into her arse. Taking a breath, he pulled her away from the wall and threw her forward, forcing her down to her knees. She was sobbing now, crying pitifully against the tape as he tore her panties down from her rump. Christ, he was hard now, movement becoming a bit more uncomfortable as he knelt down just behind her. Massaging his aching erection, he grabbed the dildo. “You ready for this, bitch?” he hissed, pressing the toy against her arse. “This isn’t gonna be pleasant. Arses aren’t equipped t’ take cocks without lube.” He pressed harder, feeling her body tense against the intrusion, her cries growing louder through the tape.

It felt fucking glorious having this bitch at his mercy. Her pain, her fear, every part of her now at his every command. Primal whispers in the recesses of his head, encouraging him further, demanding he take this bitch for himself. Tempting as it was, he knew he had to keep himself restrained and on the level. Wielding this kind of power over another was almost too much for his mind and body to handle. He continued to massage himself as he pressed the toy harder, sighing at the sounds of her cries and moans. Too caught up in his own sensations, he almost missed that her cries were actually words. He frowned, wanting to focus on the white noise and lust, her muffled cries now becoming more clear as some form of words. The toy hadn’t even gone all the way in, the tip barely pressed into her. Breaking bones and smacking her around get nowhere, but violating her with toy finally makes her start talking? Still massaging his cock, he reached down and tore the tape away. Chloe sputtered, half crying and half talking, her words meaning nothing to the haze in his head. She slumped down into the tarps, sobbing hysterically as the words slowly started to make sense. “Old shop...near Harbor Marina. Off Marginal Way.”


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

Alicia continued to pace around the main level of the shop, trying desperately not to panic. She couldn’t be down in the basement anymore, not with Alec merely laying there staring off into nowhere with his trembling hands and ragged breaths. Every so often she’d hear a small whimper from him and could see the tears falling, but he remained focused on a far wall. The look on his face sent spikes of panic through her, now wanting this to be over more than ever. The one eye was glazed, unseeing, his lips moving but no sound coming out. Tears falling but no other sound coming from him other than the occasional whimper. It was as if he’d given up any hope of seeing his parents again, now simply waiting patiently to die. It had been too much for her to watch and hear. Escaping to the main level had been her only other option. Milling about between the empty shelves and broken linoleum. Part of her still insisted she attempt to follow through while another part of her kept insisting that she simply grab her things and run because there was no way she could do this on her own. Chloe’s involvement had been crucial. How exactly did Alicia plan on backing up the threat of police involvement if the Niccals showed up armed and ready to take their son back by force?

She hadn’t been up in the main level long when her cell had started to ring, the song_ Prayer in C_ blaring and echoing in the vacant shop. Glancing at her phone, her eyes had widened when she saw it was Chloe and without thinking, had hurriedly answered the call. Her hello’s initially had gone unanswered, hearing only strange sounds in the background and someone breathing into the other end. “Chloe? Chloe is that you?” she’d pleaded, feeling the burn of tears welling in her eyes and falling. “What’s going on, Chloe? Where are you!” After another lengthy silence other than the background noise and breathing, a faint sound could be heard. Soft, growing louder and finally recognized as hoarse whispering, followed by whimpering and finally Chloe’s voice, sounding raw and strained: _Help me_. As soon as the words came through, the call had gone dead. Alicia had nearly dropped the phone, more tears falling when she realized what she’d heard. That had indeed been Chloe’s voice. She’d heard other noises and voices in the background, unable to recognize them due to how soft they’d been. The rustling of plastic, quickened breathing and other faint sounds that may or may not have been regular household noises.

What had she gotten herself into? Holy shit, they’d called her on Chloe’s phone. The people that had gotten to Chloe had called her and put her on the phone. And there was little doubt as to who the people were now, even if she hadn’t heard anyone other than Chloe speak. Fuck. Fuck. _FUCK_. This shouldn’t be happening. What kind of monster had Hailey gotten involved with? Willing to harm a woman as if it were nothing. What did this mean for her? How was she going to get out of this now? And she had to get out of this. Run, run far the fuck away. Out of Seattle, out of Washington. Just run and live off the grid. If he had gotten to Chloe, that meant it was only a matter of time before they got to her. She had to pack up and get the hell out of here. Go back to her apartment and gather some things and just run for it. There wasn’t any other option remaining, was there? Her gaze fell to the door that led to the lower level. The last loose end. What was she supposed to do with the boy now? Couldn’t very well take him with her, could she? They’d never stop hunting for her if she did. And she didn’t know the first thing about going into hiding, let alone trying to do it with a severely injured preschooler. Even if she did succeed in hiding for a few months or even years with the boy, it would only be a matter of time before someone figured it out or the boy’s parents found them.

She checked her phone, noting the early afternoon time and wondered if she should run back to her apartment and pack first or deal with everything here and then go to the apartment. Exhaling loudly, she shoved the phone into her jacket pocket and willed herself to move, walking towards the door that would lead to the lower level. She couldn’t take the boy, there was just no way. She needed to remove every scrap of evidence from the room that they’d been in there. If Niccals and Hailey showed up, they’d find nothing. Get her belongings out and figure out what to do with the boy. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest now, blood thundering in her ears. She felt strangely distant and woozy, unsure if it was panic or adrenaline. She couldn’t worry herself over any of that, the end goal here is to get rid of any and all evidence and then get back to her place, pack a few bags and just run. Run before they got here. Run before they realized they’d gotten to the shop too late and then would attempt to try the apartment. Their townhouse was far enough away that it would take some time to get here and then even longer to get to her apartment.

Rushing down and stairs and avoiding the bad step half-way down, she unlocked the door and shoved it open, the boy perking his head up weakly to look at her before resting back against the blankets. She couldn’t look at him, not in that moment anyway. She still wasn’t sure what she could do with him. There was no way she could give him back like this. Battered, swollen and shaking within the blankets, reeking of piss and shit. Alicia found herself frozen in the middle of the room, staring at him. She needed to eradicate every last piece of evidence and this included the boy, didn’t it? Leaving him here for his parents to find would only instigate them further. Taking the boy with was out of the question and leaving him here was also not going to happen. They’d hunt her down. They’d never stop until they found him. There was no saving Hailey. She was in too deep with Niccals. Just as deranged as he was, obviously. Law meant nothing to them, willing to go to whatever lengths possible to get the child back, even if that meant attacking a woman in her home. But what exactly did she plan to do? What could she do? Was it possible she could dump the boy at a hospital and leave them to figure it all out? It was a valid option. The boy could get medical care and social services would get involved. Neither one of them would get the boy back if she did it that way. But once he recovered, he’d be able to talk and it would lead to them putting two and two together eventually. He speaks to the doctors and social workers, they would have the police out looking for her eventually and she didn’t need that either.

Muttering under her breath, she worked on gathering together the few sparse belongings into her bag, casting a glance over at the boy and back to her bag. Whispers of thoughts crept up from the recesses of her mind, pointing out that she had no other options remaining. Can’t take the boy with. Can’t leave him here to be found. _You know what option remains. He’s damaged and will probably die anyway_. No, I can’t do this. No way could I do this. _The cooler is right there. He’s not a big child, he will fit into it perfectly_. She gasped out a hiccuping sob, clawing at her head. Why was she even thinking this? She wasn’t the monster, it was Niccals. Niccals was the monster everyone needed to worry about. She had only wanted her friend back from that monster before it was too late. “No, I can’t,” she moaned, tears falling down her cheeks as she looked over at the boy and the cooler. _You’ve taken it this far, what’s another step? You’ll never be able to rest if you keep him with you or leave him here to be found. They will never stop looking for you. It will only be a matter of time before they hunt you down_. But if she put him in the cooler and disposed of him, they’d still hunt her down. If his body never turned up, they’d assume he was still with her and it would only be a matter of time before they found her and then discovered the truth. What would they do to her then? What if the body turned up and her fingerprints were found? There were so many avenues this could take, but what other options did she have left? If she at least disposed of him, it gave her a chance to run without the being hindered by the boy and get far enough away.

Though she was conscious of the fact she was moving towards the cooler, she could hear herself screaming in her head as she cleared out the remaining food and dragged it over to where the boy was laying. What was one more step, right? She’d kidnapped the boy. She’d beaten the boy and most likely had permanently injured him if he survived the assault. She’d already done enough damage and needed to ensure she could escape without any obstacles. If the body turned up, the authorities would most likely automatically peg it onto Hailey and Murdoc since they’d never reported him missing. She might very well escape this. They would take the fall, wouldn’t they? Given their backgrounds, most of the professionals involved would easily point their fingers at them and assume they were the ones behind his demise. A loss of control that led to the boy’s death and panicked efforts to hide their crime. In cases like this, it was always the parents. They would take the fall and nothing said would change that. They could blame it on Chloe and Alicia all damned day, nobody would believe them.

Alec whimpered when she leaned down to scoop him up but was mostly limp as she gently laid him into the cooler. His one eye flickered open, staring up at her in horror, a shaking hand reaching feebly up at her as she closed the lid down and latched it. It was a tight enough fit that it would be near impossible for him to move around and pop the lid open. She looked around the room, finding some wads of netting in a far corner. She wrapped the cooler in the netting carefully, barely hearing him whimpered pleas through the plastic. Crying for his parents, to be let out of the dark place. She lifted it effortlessly, still momentarily amazed at how light the boy was. She could still hear herself screaming in her head even as she moved on auto-pilot, climbing the stairs to the main level and pushing herself through the back door that opened up to the alley. One of the perks of the property had been its close proximity to the waterfront. An old warf that had been abandoned as long as most of the buildings in this district. She could feel him moving a bit in the cooler, crying now and weakly hitting against the interior. _Few more steps now. Few more steps and this will soon be over. Ignore the screaming banshee in your head_.

The pier was old and rotted, some of it collapsing into the sound years ago. The whole area used to be a residential shipyard in another life, but with most of the docks now rotted and collapsed with partially collapsed buildings and rubble surrounding it, it had become little more than an eyesore taken up by some of the city’s homeless population. It was overcast and grey outside, but she paid this no mind as she got closer and closer to the pier. A few good sized stones should weigh the cooler down enough. There was enough rubble and concrete around to gather what was needed once she reached the pier. More screaming inside her head. _Stop this. You can’t do this. He’s just a little boy_. She was well aware he was just a little boy and he was a little boy who would grow up to be a degenerate just like his parents. She needed to be able to escape and getting rid of him now was the only way. She was doing the boy a favor. Chloe said it often enough, trash breeding trash. He’d just be another generation of trash that would take advantage of hard working people like her and Chloe, right?

_Jesus christ, listen to yourself. This is madness. This has to stop_.

Just shut the fuck up. I have to do this. There’s no other way now. I’ve already taken it too far. She shoved the screaming thoughts back, her focus on the cooler and the concrete chunks that lay just outside the pier. The concrete was heavy, but not too heavy to lift. She hoped they’d be heavy enough to weigh the cooler down. The pier itself creaked and groaned beneath her feet but seemed to be able to hold her weight. Carrying over a few large pieces of concrete, she finally went over to the cooler and brought it over to the end of the pier. She could see a few posts protruding from the water some yards ahead, probably where the original end of the pier had been in another life. She laid out the netting and rolled the concrete onto it, finally grabbing the cooler and resting it atop the rocks, gathering up the netting and tying it down. She could still hear the boy sobbing from within, probably frantic now. It will all be over soon. Just roll the rocks in and it will drag the cooler with it. She stood upright, looking out at the calm water ahead. No sign of anyone. No chance of someone seeing her. She lit a cigarette with shaking hands, exhaling smoke into the cool and damp grey air. Gather her wits. Ditch the cooler. Get back home to pack and then catch the next train or plane out of this fucking state.

Alicia’s gaze dropped to the netting and cooler, too many thoughts racing through her head. Voice of reason screaming as loud as it could for her to stop and back away. Sinister whispers encouraging her to move forward with her plan. All I had wanted was to get my best friend back and look where it got me. His poison ran too deep and there was no saving her. It was stupid to think I could force her to stay with me. She would never have stayed. He took away someone to hurt me so it’s only fair that I take away something precious from him and hurt him. Look at it from another angle – you’re sparing the boy from being raised by two fucked up people who had no business having a child together. You’re saving him, right? She smiled to herself, tears falling down her cheeks as she bent low to move the concrete. He’ll only feel brief pain and fear and then it will all be over for him. She took another breath, taking a quick drag from her cigarette before flicking it away from her. Bending down, she shifted the rocks and cooler closer and closer to the edge of the pier, hearing noises behind her that sounded like a vehicle but too caught up in finishing this once and for all. With the combined weight of the two concrete chunks, it was more difficult to move than she realized, huffing loudly as she continued to inch it closer and closer. Another few inches and that was it. One of the concrete pieces tipped, yanking the cooler away from her as it went sideways off the pier, the other block holding it fast to the edge. From within the cooler, she could hear the boy now shrieking and moving around more, smacking against the walls of his little plastic coffin. She gave the other block a hard push, watching as it hit the water hard. The cooler disappeared almost immediately, dragged down beneath the water’s surface by the weight of the blocks.

Someone was screaming. Was it in her head? She took a step back, feeling a strange calm take over. It was over now. She could move on. Christ, she could still hear the screaming. It was so loud. Another voice – deeper and gruffer – crying out the boy’s name. Someone pushing her aside hard enough for her to fall down. Only a brief glimpse of someone lunging into the water, little more than a blur as they disappeared beneath the water’s surface. Where was that god awful screaming coming from? It was raw and primal, something she’d never heard before. This wasn’t the screaming in her head. This was outside. Pushing herself upright, she slowly got to her feet and looked around in dazed confusion. Why wasn’t that screaming stopping? Where was it coming from? She looked around, tears falling as she took in the overcast sky and the wretched state of the old pier. The screaming had finally stopped! She let out a sob, whispering thanks to whatever had stopped the screaming. Through the blur of tears, she realized someone was approaching her. She blinked, trying desperately to clear her vision as the person got closer and closer. It took a long moment before she realized she was staring at Hailey. Moving towards her, limping a little on that one bad leg, but coming at her with a quickness that surprised her. Hailey was coming home. Hailey was here. Her best friend finally back. “Hi Hailey,” she whispered softly, cracking a smile at the woman. There was no smile on Hailey’s face. Her dark hair like a halo around her head, her face raw and wet from tears, green eyes fixed on Alicia and full of venom. Labored breathing as she closed in and it took Alicia a long moment to realize that she was holding something in her hand, something that she was now hefting up and bringing back like a baseball bat. An old rusted piece of rebar with a chunk of concrete at the end of it. Hailey let out a snarl as she swung the rebar towards her, the concrete end coming at her. Alicia didn’t have time to think. Didn’t have time to react. There was pain. There was stars. And then it was nothing but darkness.

******************************

The rental was pushed to its limits and Murdoc found himself diving in and out of traffic in an effort to get to where this old shop was. Hailey was in the passenger seat, anxious and fidgety, messing with every little thing she could find as the maroon compact tried to navigate the busy streets. He had no idea where this area was, but Hailey did to an extent. It wasn’t too far off from that diner they’d met at years back. The whole area was mostly construction and abandoned properties. She was confident she knew the approximate location and that was all he needed. He could only hope that they didn’t get flagged by the police and pulled over or tailed to where-ever. What if Chloe was right and the cops would be waiting to arrest them both when they showed up? Hailey wasn’t concerned with any of that. Chloe talked a lot of shit and chances were, they might have been prepared to have the police involved if things went south, but actually having the cops waiting in the wings? Highly doubt it. Alicia was probably panicking now, especially after they’d called her from Chloe’s phone and listened to the woman’s shrill demands to know where the hell Chloe was and why she wasn’t there. Murdoc had placed the phone near Chloe’s face, her mouth bloody from a few well aimed punches, hissing under his breath for her to talk. Her whispered moan of Help me was met with more panicked sounds from the other end before he’d disconnected the call.

Everything from that moment until now had been just a blur. He couldn’t even think clearly, his focus on making sure he didn’t wrap the car around a telephone pole and avoid doing any crazy maneuvers that would catch the attention of the local five-oh. He wasn’t even sure what he could say in the event they did get pulled over. _Sorry mate, goin’ t’ get m’ kid back an’ deal with __the__ Amazon bitch __who snatched him__. Talley fuckin’ ho, yeah_? He grimaced, turning at a light and dully noting that the shops and brightly colored facades had faded away to more and more boarded up properties. They must be close. He could even smell the salt water now. What would they do if they arrived and nobody was there? He hadn’t thought that far ahead, unwilling to entertain the idea that the Amazon might take Alec and run. Where the hell did she think could run to anyway? He had to remind himself that the Amazon wasn’t playing with a full deck and they had to be prepared for anything at this point. If they didn’t find them at the shop then they’d check the Amazon’s apartment.

“Turn here,” Hailey said suddenly, pointing at the light up ahead. “Take a right.” He did as commanded, turning into a darker part of the city. No longer the brightly colored shops and theaters and boutiques but low slung decrepit buildings in various state of decay. Hailey was looking around and he picked up on her anxiety when they both were noticing that aside from the larger warehouses, nearly all the other buildings were once shops of some kind. “He could be anywhere,” she whispered, her voice cracking with the onset of fresh tears. She was right. Any one of these shops with their boarded up windows and faded broken signs could be the shop Turner had told them about. They were on the right road now and they could even see the water behind the buildings.

His gaze fell to what looked like might have been an old convenience shop near the end of the road. It was hunkered down between two larger buildings. Old signage too faded to make out what it once was in another life. Flanked by two alleys. He slowed the rental down as they crept past it, catching sight of something that sent a million alarms off in his head. A black car. The tail end of a black car parked down the alley almost behind the building. He slammed onto the brakes and threw the car into reverse. Black hatchback, just like the one he’d seen a day or so ago. “That’s the car!” he hissed excitedly as he lurched the rental into the alley, coming to a stop just behind the black Nissan hatchback. Hailey was already out of the car, checking around the black car before heading over to the partially open back door. Murdoc threw the car into park and got out. “Be careful!” Hailey was already disappearing into the building before he could get a word out. He ran in behind her, freezing at the pitch black that greeted him inside. He could hear her moving around and perking his ears, he followed the sounds carefully, stepping slowly through the darkness until he emerged into what he assumed was the main part of the store. There were still some shelves, some toppled over, others still standing but missing a shelf here or there. The linoleum was cracked and chunks were missing that exposed the concrete flooring. He scuffed at a random gape in the floor, flicking the brittle linoleum away from him and down the rubbish strewn aisle.

Hailey was at the counter towards the front. He guessed that the counter probably once held a cash register and the random impulse by display cases. Empty shelves behind it where cigarettes once sat. Their little barcodes were still there, some faded beyond recognition and others just legible enough to see the spot might have held Marlboros on another life. He trailed behind her as they examined the store, Hailey checking the area that most likely had held refrigerated items back in its former life. She opened one of the glass doors and stepped through, gone only a moment or two before coming back out and shaking her head. “There’s only so many places to hide in here...where the hell could they be?”

“Dunno, Poppet,” he muttered as he crept down a short hall that opened up to an office that part of the roof had collapsed into and a bathroom that had a black hole where the toilet once stood. Nothing else around and they’d checked nearly every place but that dark stockroom they’d come in through.

Hailey was already moving back the way they came, pausing long enough to pull out her lighter and light up the stockroom as much as the little Bic could. Upon reaching her, she gestured towards her right, pointing at something that had escaped their notice when they’d come in. A flight of stairs that disappeared into a black maw under the shop. Murdoc frowned, looking around the dimly lit room until he spotted a switch. Hailey yelped when the lights crackled and flashed on, the stockroom filling with light and much to their relief, the stairs as well, revealing a walkway down at the bottom. He moved ahead of her, darting down the stairs loudly and looking around the few doors. They were here somewhere. They just had to be. This was one of the few shops that matched the description that Turner had given them and though it was faint, he could even pick up traces of perfume that matched whatever scent Turner used. She’d been here and this meant the Amazon and his boy were here. Hailey was already checking a door at the end of the hall, calling out for Alec as she opened each room. Murdoc checked the door to his direct left, finding it jammed and near impossible to open. Hailey was suddenly at his side, pushing against it and inching it open little by little. When the door finally opened enough for them them peer in, he groaned aloud when it was revealed to be a plain washroom.

This left one final door just behind them and when Hailey threw it open, the smell of perfume and other new scents assaulted his senses. Murdoc stepped into the room and looked around. He could smell perfume, piss and even shit somewhere. But what really got his attention was the handbag laying on the old table, a handbag that Hailey was now going through. He continued to move around the room, looking to see if there was anything to indicate where they were. There was little doubt now that they’d found the place. The bag was too clean and nice to be some random street person’s belongings. Some food items were laying near a pile of what looked to be rags and blankets. Murdoc inched closer, examining the food items before turning his attention to the blankets. Dark stains and the pungent odor or urine filled his nostrils. Were the dark stains blood? His gaze drifted to the wall, seeing some dark stains there as well before turning back to Hailey, who was now going through what he assumed was Alicia’s cell phone. “There’s blood over here, Poppet,” he whispered, gesturing back to the blankets. She was focused on the phone, perking her head up to look at him as she continued to browse through the phone. Whatever was on the phone was no longer any concern of theirs. They’d found the place and if the bag and phone were still here, this meant the Amazon was somewhere close and she probably still had Alec.

Returning to the car, Murdoc sighed and scrubbed his hands across his unshaven face. How was it they could be so fucking close and still not find them? They had the right place, so where the hell were they? There was enough proof down below. They’d been camping out down there long enough to keep some kind of a food stockpile and he’d seen the remnants of a Happy Meal carton behind the vending machine. Some adults ate Happy Meals due to portion size, sure, but what are the odds that they’d stumbled across some other random bird camping out in an old moldy fucking basement? Starting the car, he lurched it forward, wanting to see what was behind the buildings. The layout of these warehouse grids were enough to drive a man to drink, no doubt. The shop was a single story building surrounded by a few taller buildings with several behind it. Though the alley was narrow, the rental slipped through easily, finally reaching the end of the alley and revealing a large paved lot and water. The paved lot had definitely seen better days, some remains of buildings still there with loads of rubble and old docks that had since collapsed into Puget Sound. He could even see the shipyard across the way. Accelerating the rental, he nearly jumped out of his skin when Hailey let out a scream, throwing open the car door before he could gather his wits and put on the brakes. “Hailey, wait!” He lunged to his side in the hopes of grabbing her, his fingers only catching the material of her shirt before she went tumbling out onto the pavement.

Slamming on the brakes, he looked up to see Hailey trying to run towards the water. Up ahead in the distance, he realized he was seeing someone standing near one of the old docks. The person at the dock was bent over, doing something that they couldn’t quite see. Climbing out of the idling car, he frowned when the person stood upright. There was little doubt that it was the Alicia bird. The white blond hair flowing behind her as she moved around the thing at her feet, the thing that he soon realized was a blue cooler. Without thinking, he started running towards the dock, screaming Alec’s name. The woman stood over the cooler a moment before she started to push it towards the end of the dock. White hot rage and dread poured through him as he forced his aching legs to continue, cursing the cigarettes that made his lungs burn and lack of exercise that had his muscles screaming at him as he pushed himself to keep going. Hailey’s bad leg slowed her down and he was soon passing her, half panting and half gasping as the woman at the end of the dock continued to push the cooler forward. A large blue cooler with rocks connected to it, a blue cooler big enough to hold a small framed child.

When the cooler tipped off the edge of the dock and disappeared, Murdoc screamed Alec’s name. He shoved past Alicia before leaping from the dock, flailing in the air before hitting the water hard. The water was cold, so fucking cold and the shock of the cold nearly froze him in place. The area was so much deeper than he realized, watching the bright blue cooler disappear into the darkness, the rocks pulling it further and further away. Murdoc lashed around in the depths a moment, trying to work the frozen muscles that had become useless from the shock of the cold. It was difficult, weighed down by his clothes, his boots, the icy cold of the water inching down to his bones. He started to swim towards the cooler, deeper and deeper, reaching out feebly to try to catch it, screaming soundlessly in the depths as he pushed himself downward. What if he didn’t get to him in time? What if Alec was already dead? Why else would she be tossing him aside like this? No, he couldn’t think any of that. Just get to the cooler. He felt his fingers catch some of the netting and with renewed purpose, propelled himself downward as he grabbed onto the netting with both hands and tried desperately to tear it away. The surface was no longer shimmered above him, now just grainy light over his head as the rocks pulled him and the cooler deeper and deeper down.

He wasn’t going to be able to get to him. He couldn’t stop it from continuing its downward projection. He screamed again, bubbles and muffled noises surrounding him, his own voice so loud in his head as he held on to the netting and continued to try to rip it away. Alec was going to die and he was going to die trying to save him. This was it. His chest felt tight, his body now fighting against the lack of air. The weights must have finally hit the bottom because they suddenly were no longer going down, but his body was becoming desperate and it would only be a matter of time before it reflexively tried to suck in air. He tore at the netting, snarling silently in the depths as he reefed it away and could finally reach the lid of the cooler itself. Though faint, he could hear movement and this brought renewed reserve, unlatching at the lid and reaching in. When his arm emerged from the cooler with Alec now clinging to him, his little cheeks puffed out, he pulled him as close as he could and started to swim upward. He was alive. Thank fucking Satan! Alive! Every part of him hurt, his body struggling to breathe in, Alec now clinging desperately to him as the surface got closer and closer. Grabbing the boy around his ribs, he thrust him upward through the surface before he finally broke through, Alec’s coughing wails drowning out his own sputtered coughs and gasps as his body sucked in as much air as it could hold.

Murdoc pulled Alec closer as he floated on the water’s surface, taking in massive lungfuls of air. Too tired and in too much pain to move. It was actually almost peaceful just floating there, even with the still wailing Alec now resting against his chest, coughing and sputtering, his little hands white knuckled from clutching his shirt so tight. It took a long moment to realize he could hear Hailey half screaming and half sobbing from the water’s edge. Still holding onto Alec, he pressed his face into the boy’s wet hair, assuring him that they were there and he needed to hold on. He was safe now. Mum and Da were here. Alec did as he was told, his arms wrapped around Murdoc’s neck as he started to swim towards the rocky jetty where the half collapsed dock was. Moaning with relief once his feet reached ground, allowing him to stand and continue moving before finally collapsing down against one of the rocks at the water’s edge. Every inch of him hurt. His limbs felt like dead weights. He could barely fucking move and wasn’t even sure if he could successfully climb up to the paved lot. Hailey was rushing down the rocks, climbing down with an agility that momentarily amazed him as she jumped from rock to rock before finally meeting him at the tiny sandbar. He stood up on shaking legs, too weary to do much more. She reached out, pulling his arm over her shoulder as she helped him navigate the rocks. She was crying, Alec was crying and for all Murdoc knew, he was crying as well, but he was in too much fucking pain to give a toss at this point. Every step felt like an eternity, his arms barely able to grasp at rocks to pull himself forward. Hailey remained there, holding most of his and Alec’s weight as she struggled to help him climb up the rocks.

As soon as he reached level ground, he flopped back onto his back, his head hitting the pavement hard enough to see stars briefly. Just leave him here. He’d move eventually. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this fucking exhausted, every part of him feeling useless. And when did it get so fucking cold? Shivering now as the wind cut through his wet clothing. Hailey was on her knees beside him, holding Alec against her, sobbing and laughing as Alec continued to cry hysterically. Murdoc slowly rolled his head towards them, feeling only waves of relief that Alec was alive and they hadn’t recovered a body. But this brought other thoughts to the front of his exhausted mind. This meant that the Amazon had put Alec into the cooler alive and dumped him into the Sound alive. She’d tried to discard him much like how one used to discard litters of kittens or puppies. Tossed him aside, alive, into the depths of the ocean with no means of escape. He was alive when he’d been put in that cooler. Alive when she’d tipped the cooler off the pier and into the water. Alive when he’d finally managed to get him out of his blue coffin. Tears burned in his eyes, falling down the sides of his face as he absorbed this information. She’d tried to kill their son. And she would have succeeded if they hadn’t gotten there when they did. Murdoc gritted his teeth against the sob that threatened, raising a lead filled arm to wipe at his eyes. Why? What did Alec do to deserve being discarded into the ocean like an unwanted cat? Who the fuck did that to a little boy?

A fucking degenerate monster, that was who. That’s what the woman was. An unstable, degenerate monster who was so selfish about sharing her best mate that she thought killing her mate’s son was the solution. A fucking warped, psychotic cunt undeserving of any mercy. He sat up, looking over at Hailey and Alec, who were still wrapped around one another and crying. More tears filled Murdoc’s eyes as he took in the boy’s filthy and battered state. The pajamas were so filthy that Murdoc couldn’t even recall what theme they’d been. But it wasn’t the filthy state of his pajamas that got Murdoc’s attention, it was the bruises on his face. There were even bruises on his hands. And when Hailey tried to pull him closer, he let out a pitiful cry, holding his sides. With some prompting from Hailey, Alec finally pulled his shirt up to reveal more bruising. Every inch of him seemed to be black and blue. Murdoc weakly crawled towards them, his hand on Alec’s shoulder. “Who did this t’ you?” Alec meekly looked up at him with fresh tears, finally pointing to the distance behind them. At the woman who lay in a crumpled heap on the ground. He’d almost completely forgotten that she was there, groaning and slowly trying to raise herself up. It took a herculean effort to get to his feet, but once Murdoc was standing, he felt a jolt of energy. Was this why she’d tried to kill him? Was it an effort to hide what she’d done? Did she think they would never have caught her? Did she think she could actually get away with this and not face the repercussions? He cracked his shoulders and knuckles, his gaze now on the woman who was groaning and trying to sort out her surroundings. “Get Alec t’ the car, Poppet,” he growled. “I’ll be there in a moment.”


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNINGS: TORTURE, SEX AND TORTURE ETC

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

_ Music blared from the speakers and the little local bar was filled with bodies dancing in the center of the establishment. Alicia wasn’t sure of the artist, but it was a song she liked and had rocked out to on many occasions. She was seated at the usual booth table that she, Hailey and Jason often claimed as their own, nursing a drink and looking around for her best friend and her partner. Jason had disappeared moments ago, mentioning something about the bathroom while Hailey had simply slipped away. Most likely heading straight for the bar. It was a pleasant evening and though Alicia couldn’t recall the events of the day leading up to being at Curry’s, she wasn’t too concerned. Just happy to be at a place she loved with her lover and her best friend. There were so many people inside the bar, their faces were blurs or maybe it was the dim lighting and flashing strobes. Everything just felt surreal and magical. Though she could feel a strange nagging in the back recesses of her mind, she ignored it and started to dance her way across the dance-floor with her drink in hand, smiling broadly at Toby – who was mostly preoccupied with the people at the bar counter, filling glasses and slinging them in different directions. _

_ So none of it ever happened? Had it all been a hallucination? Everything she remembered up to that point must have never happened at all. She remembered Hailey being gone and hating her. Jason leaving her. Everyone telling her that she was in the wrong for something she could no longer remember. A fight of some kind, right? Hailey was involved with someone and that someone had hammered a wedge between them. But Hailey was right there at the bar, chatting animatedly with Toby. Had she imagined the entire thing? Had she fallen asleep at the booth and simply had a long and wild nightmare? None of this made sense, did it? Had it all been a dream? Hailey hating her and running off with someone? Who had it been? She couldn’t remember. Was it someone she knew? Though she could feel the floor beneath her feet and the icy cold glass in her hand, she couldn’t escape that something just wasn’t a hundred percent right. Why couldn’t she put her finger on it. She could remember all these events going down over just the last few days alone and yet here she was at Curry’s with Hailey and Jason and it was like none of the crazy shit had ever happened. So there’d been no fight. Hailey hadn’t disappeared for years. And there had been no child. A child? Wait, was she remembering things right? Was this how dreams fucked with you, making you remember things that make zero sense? What child was she thinking of? Hailey’s child? Hailey didn’t have a child. Hailey was right over there and she looked no different than the night she’d left for the concert. _

_ A concert. Why was some concert sticking out in her head. They’d gone to a few concerts through the years. They’d gone to a Linkin Park concert just a few years ago, hadn’t they? But Alicia didn’t go to this last concert. It had just been Hailey. She’d scored a ticket and backstage pass. She’d left for a concert and never came back. Vanished. Gone and left everything behind. _

_ That was stupid. Obviously she’d come back because she was right over there. She hadn’t vanished. Why did she think Hailey had vanished? “Hailey!” she yelled across the bar, the woman still sitting with her back to her as she talked with Toby. “Hailey!” Hailey still wasn’t moving. Could she even hear over this loud fucking music? What the hell was playing now? She didn’t recognize this track. It was loud, drowning everything out and shaking the floors and walls. Why was it so loud? Her ears were hurting from it, the screaming vocals sounding as if they were right in her ears. She struggled across the dancefloor, finally reaching out and grabbing at Hailey’s shirt. “Hailey....we need to get out of here. The music. I can’t handle the music...” The woman didn’t move, her back still to Alicia as she chatted with Toby. Alicia couldn’t even tell what the hell Hailey was talking about. Her words didn’t make any sense. Or was it from this god awful loud music that couldn’t seem to go down in volume? “HAILEY!” She grabbed a fistful of Hailey’s shirt and tugged it as hard as she could. “SOMETHING IS WRONG!”_

_ Hailey froze, still unmoving even as Alicia continued to yank on her shirt. Alicia looked around, the music still blaring in her ears. The entire bar had gone still, everyone frozen in place in whatever motion or gesture they’d been making. She could even see Jason emerging from the hallway, frozen in place mid-step. Toby still with his hand inside the glass he’d been cleaning. What the hell was going on? Why had everyone stopped moving? She looked frantically around, a low whine escaping from her. Something was wrong, so very wrong and she didn’t know what. She could hear laughter – a man’s laughter – carrying over the music. Deep and gravely, filled with menace. Her heart was pounding, panic rising as she struggling to get as close to Hailey as she could, confused at some unseen force that kept from getting any closer than arm’s reach. But her hand was still clutching the fabric of her shirt. She could touch her. She gave one final tug against Hailey’s shirt, almost sobbing with relief when Hailey finally moved to turn around. The relief she felt was short lived, frozen in place as Hailey turned to face her. The woman looking at her was older, her face rounder, a streak of grey in her hair. Cold and dismissive green eyes scanning her over, lips curling into a sneer. The voice was soft yet icy, every word sending chills rippling down her spine. “It’s time to wake, Ali...”_

Alicia’s eyes snapped open, the room around her mostly dark with only faint light coming from some narrow windows.  Her mouth felt thick and dry and every part of her felt swollen and puffy. She blinked, trying to scan around the room, able to move her head and neck but little else. She frowned, trying to move other parts of her body only to be met with resistance. Everything felt foggy and unclear. She also had a splitting headache, the side of her head above her ear almost screaming in a throbbing pain. Licking her lips, she tried to speak, shocked at the raspy and weak sound of her voice. “H...h..h-ello?” The room was too dark to really make out anything about it. Narrow windows high up on the wall but even those windows were obscured so not a lot of light could get through. “H..hello?” she said louder, craning her neck at an angle in an effort to see anything that might help her figure out where the hell she was. “Someone?”

Someone was in the room with her. She could hear them breathing. She could smell cigarette smoke. Low whimpers escaped from her as she continued her frantic search for anything that could tell her where she was and what was going on. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could finally make out large shadows that were most likely furnishing of some kind. A counter, something that hung from the ceiling in the corner and items hanging from the wall. Why couldn’t she move her arms or legs? Oh god, what if she was locked up in a hospital? Her arms were above her head, held by something around her wrists, her legs stretched and ankles held by the same. Had things really reached a head and she was now in some psychiatric hospital? Had Hailey and Niccals gotten the authorities involved? Wouldn’t everyone want to know why they never went for help when Alec was first taken? Her head was too fuzzy and achy to really think. What if it hadn’t been days, but mere hours? Taking the boy and hurting him and trying to kill him. No, she didn’t do that, did she? Well, why else would she be restrained on an uncomfortable bed in a room that seemed bare and generic, much like a hospital room. But that didn’t explain the cigarette smell. Someone was in the room with her and they were smoking. Hospitals don’t allow that. They hadn’t allowed smoking inside in decades. She lifted her head, trying in vain to look around the dark room, too groggy and bleary to really make out what kind of room she was in or even where she was. The sound of movement could be heard from a corner somewhere behind her, something rising up slowly. When the burning red cherry tip of the cigarette flared up, it cast Hailey’s unsmiling face in a brilliant orange glow before going dark again. “You’re finally awake,” she muttered flatly. “About damned time.”

“Hailey...?” Alicia licked her lips again, hating the scratchy hoarse feel of her voice. “What’s going on? Where am I?” Her eyes followed Hailey’s dark shape as she moved through the room. There was a flick and suddenly the room filled with milky white light. Alicia blinked, momentarily blinded. Slowly opening her eyes, she took in the room. It was a plain room with white walls. On one side was a row of four narrow windows that were near the ceiling, grass growing on the other side and though mostly obscured, the sun was out. Hanging from the walls were various toys and tools – a riding crop, a cat-o-nine-tails, velcro handcuffs and the object hanging from the ceiling in the corner revealed itself to be a swing or hammock of some kind. “What the hell?” she breathed, shaking her head. What kind of room was this?

Hailey pulled over a plain folding chair, straddling it with her arms folded across the top. Alicia lifted her head, realizing she was strapped down on a plain steel table, wrists strapped down on the two top corners with her ankles strapped down at the two lower corners. She uttered a whine, panic rising as she struggled against the restraints. She could her body a little bit, even her arms and legs, but there wasn’t enough slack to rip wrists and ankles free of the straps that held them down. Hailey continued to smoke her cigarette, her face void of any expression. “I really _really_ want to know what the fuck you were thinking when you cooked up the plan to take and try to kill my son.”

“I’m sorry!” Alicia moaned, pulling and straining against the restraints. “It never meant to go that far, Hailey, I swear. I panicked. It was all Chloe’s idea...” She didn’t know what more she could say. Chloe had been the one to gather all the intel and had been the one to propose taking Alec. Chloe had been the actual mastermind of it all. The one with the money to get the reports. “She’s the one who found out about Interpol. The one who thought taking your son was the way to go...”

Hailey’s brow twitched, her eyes still mostly unreadable. “That may be so but _who’s_ the one who actually took him? The one who hurt him?” Her eyes narrowed. “The one who thought _dumping him into the ocean alive _was the best way to escape?” She took a breath, stubbing out her cigarette. “It was all you, Alicia. All you. You chose to do this.”

Tears welling in her eyes, Alicia blinked them away, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, Hailey! I just wanted you to come back home where you belonged. I thought he was controlling you and was using your son as leverage...”

“Don’t bullshit a bullshitter, you arrogant bitch,” Hailey snapped, now scowling at her. “You couldn’t stand that you didn’t have your fucked up fix it project to lord over anymore. That’s all I ever was to you. You were never my real friend. I was just something to fix to you.” She took a breath, her hardened expression relaxing. It was one thing that had always bothered Alicia. The still expression and the inability to read her moods. But she’d always been a hard one to read. Hailey let out a heavy sigh, closing her eyes briefly as she lit another cigarette. “And you saw Murdoc as a threat to your project.”

“Hailey,” Alicia breathed, blinking back more tears, “look at everything that was going on. He’d kidnapped people. He’d harmed people. He was on the run. He was dangerous, Hailey, and you were blind to it all.” When Hailey didn’t flinch, she strained upward so she could see her better, craning her neck into a painful angle. “He had a hold over you and you were too blind to see that. He drugged you and smuggled you out of the country! How could you stay with him after finding out what he’d done?”

Hailey shrugged her shoulders as she got to her feet, cigarette burning on her lip. Alicia continued to pull against the restraints, hoping that maybe Hailey was actually letting her words sink in. There was also the burning question of where exactly were they. The more she could see of the room the more she realized it was a basement of some kind. The townhouse didn’t have a basement. The floor-plans never indicated a basement of any kind. This wasn’t just a temporary holding area either. The basement had been dry-walled and had clearly been turned into a functioning room. Not to mention all the accessories strewn about. Her thoughts were interrupted when Hailey let out a sigh and dropped back into the chair. “Yes, he was on the run, hiding from a group he’d crossed. Yes, he was juggling a charade with the tour. Stu had been held against his will and the protection Murdoc had built had been malfunctioning.” She frowned, staring at the cherry tip of her cigarette. “And yes, when things went to shit, he panicked and hid me in an equipment trailer. When I came around, it had been a few days and I had no idea what had happened...”

“Why stay with him? After finding out the truth, why stay?” This had been the nagging question, hadn’t it? Why Hailey chose to stay. “Was it a control thing? What kind of hold did he have that made you decide to stay?”

“It’s complex,” Hailey said through a shrug. “It doesn’t fit in a that perfect little box you expect things to fit into.” She frowned, her eyes on her cigarette. She looked almost sad in those moments, finally sighing and flicking her gaze back to Alicia. “It was just nice to find someone else who understood, even if for a short amount of time. I guess he’d been tossing around asking me to tag along but things blew up in his face before he could ask.” She let out a short snort of a laugh, taking another hard drag from the cigarette. “Not sure why you were so convinced he was holding me against my will or had some kind of control over me. It wasn’t anything at all like that.”

Alicia stared at the dark-haired woman, not sure what to think or believe. If it wasn’t a control thing then what could it be? Nobody in their right mind would stick around after finding out they’d essentially been drugged and kidnapped out of the country. She knew they’d gotten pretty close, but how close could you get with someone after only a handful of days? “You’re not gonna tell me it was love at first sight, are you?”

“Oh fuck no!” Hailey’s face cracked into a toothy smile before she erupted into a strange, hollow laugh. “Wasn’t love or anything like that. It was just nice having someone who understood. For him, too. I had a choice – go back to Seattle and resume a boring life or kick it with this world famous rockstar who was dynamite in bed. It really wasn’t a hard decision to make.”

Alicia frowned, shaking her head in disbelief. This just didn’t seem right. So you find out you’ve been kidnapped and have the option to go back to your home but instead of going home, you decide why not stick around and fuck the man who kidnapped you and enjoy the perks of his celebrity status? Niccals did not come across as one who would tolerate someone taking him for a ride, both figuratively and literally. She also couldn’t see how Hailey could so casually decide this was okay. Hadn’t she talked at length about her dislike of people who used others? And yet here she was, admitting to doing the very thing she disliked? “So you used him?”

“Reckon so.” Hailey frowned at her cigarette a moment before finally stubbing it out in a small ashtray in her other hand. “He was scared and he was lonely. Things just sort of happened. Not sure how else to explain it.” Her expression became thoughtful, the ghost of a smile just there. “There wasn’t any feelings there, not at first really. Not even when we found out about Alec.”

So Hailey decided to tag along as his piece of ass and ended up knocked up? If Alicia was doing the math right, she must have gotten pregnant almost immediately. This didn’t make any sense to her because Hailey had always been careful. Certainly not careless enough to rawdog some man-whore rock musician. No way would Hailey allow herself to be put in such a position. But the boy was proof, obviously. He was only four years old and Hailey had been gone for just shy of five years. Probably got herself pregnant mere weeks or months of hooking up with Niccals. Was it intentional on Hailey’s part to keep the gravy train going? She essentially admitted to using the man so it wasn’t a huge stretch. The kid was an instant paycheck, right? She could have lived off the child support alone. Though none of this really made any sense given how Hailey was, what other explanation was there? Alicia couldn’t see Niccals embracing parenthood but if faced with saving money to keep them around and take care of them versus Hailey taking him to the cleaners for support, he might’ve begrudgingly accepted the changes. “I can only imagine how well that went over,” she muttered grimly, matching glares. “He doesn’t strike me as father material...”

A bitter laugh erupted from Hailey as she casually strolled around the table. “No...he doesn’t, does he? We adapted, I guess. We had no choice but to accept it.” She had a strange distant expression on her face, the smile melting to a deep frown, her eyes on the woman strapped to the table. “He has his moments, but he’s a good Dad. And while we may not have felt anything for each other at first, we certainly do now.” She locked eyes with Alicia, speaking through gritted teeth. “We have what everyone – you included – felt we shouldn’t have. A normal life. A kid who has _no fucking idea _what kind of worlds we came from.” If Alicia didn’t know better, she could almost her the strain of tears under her voice. Hailey continued to stare down at her with eyes that didn’t bother to hide her boiling animosity. “Alec is loved. He can see that his parents care for each other...”

“So you’re just one happy family now?” Alicia grumbled, tearing her eyes from Hailey’s face. “I find that hard to believe. Not after everything he’s done. The pirates. The gun running. You can’t seriously tell me he went a hundred percent legit.”

Hailey blinked, her brow furrowing and mouth setting into a thin line. “Maybe not a hundred percent, but good enough in my books. The money earned is legitimate and that’s all I care about.” Alicia shrank back when Hailey leaned in close, her face inches from hers. “As for family...we are a happy family...or at least we _were_. Before you took him from us. Before you hurt him. Before you tried to fucking _kill_ him.” She reached out, grasping Alicia’s chin firmly, squeezing her face hard as she leaned in closer, eyes boring down into her. “Alec has been spanked once – _just once _– in his entire four years on this planet. He hardly even knows what a spanking is. He doesn’t know that his father was beat and locked in closets as a kid or that his mother had been used as some pervert’s sex toy. He has no fucking clue. We wanted it to stay that way. Wanted to make sure he never had to know what it was like to be hated...be someone’s burden. You took it upon yourself to change that. You beat him. You tried to kill him. You broke his ribs. You caused head injuries. He has a tremor in his hands that won’t seem to go away.” She pressed her fingers down harder, a cruel smile spreading across her face when Alicia whimpered from the pressure. “You damaged our son. He is never going to be the same again because of_ you_.”

Alicia’s mouth felt dry, every part of her feeling numb and useless. Was it adrenaline pumping through her now or panic? Unable to speak and unwilling to meet Hailey’s venomous gaze, she frantically looked around the room hoping to see something that might indicate where she was. This wasn’t real. This couldn’t be real. This was a nightmare world she couldn’t wake from. She wanted to believe this was the case, but everything felt too fucking real to just be a dream. She could feel the heat from Hailey’s hand and smell the cigarettes on her breath. She could feel the fabric restraints cutting into her wrists and ankles. She struggled to remember the final moments before waking up in this strange dark room. She could feel dull throbbing pain in her head. She’d been hit with something, right? She could remember Hailey coming at her with something in her hands, something she was swinging at her. They’d attacked her. They’d gotten to Chloe and they’d gotten to her. They were holding her in some space that neither she or Chloe had known about. What were they planning now that they had them? Part of her wanted to believe this was all just some act to give her a fright, but the look on Hailey’s face was too dark, too serious. They were confident that they’d never be discovered. Alicia licked her dry lips, hating how strange her head felt. Why did she feel so groggy and thick? Why did those moments on the pier seem so long ago now? So many questions and she was no closer to getting any answers.

From over their heads came the sound of footsteps. Alicia followed the sounds until they stopped somewhere beyond her field of vision. A sliver of light sliced through as a door opened and the steps started to get closer. Stairs, they were stairs. The room she was in was definitely a basement or cellar of some kind but the question was _where_. Did they have another house somewhere in Washington that she and Chloe had never learned about? The footsteps drew closer and Alicia could feel her heart thundering in her chest as new scents filled her nostrils. Some kind of cologne or aftershave. She swallowed the dry lump in her throat as a shadow loomed over her, not wanting to see who had joined them. She already knew who it was. She could hear him breathing as he stared down at her. Please let this be a nightmare. Please let me wake up. I don’t care if I wake in a psychiatric hospital. Just wake me up please. I want this to be over!

“Oh looky here, she’s ‘wake!” Murdoc crowed, beaming down at her. “Apologies for the rough lodgins’, dear. Kinda had t’ make room in a pinch.” He circled around the table, wrapping his arms around Hailey from behind and resting his chin into her shoulder. “Hope our hospitality is good ‘nough for an uptight bird like you.”

Alicia took a breath, struggling to find her voice. “Where’s Chloe? I haven’t seen her.”

Murdoc’s smile fell, his expression going from jovial to stern. “I wouldn’t worry ‘bout her, Ali. She’s been dealt with.” He and Hailey exchanged glances as they separated and branched out around the table, flanking her. Alicia uttered a whimper, tears falling freely as she absorbed his words. _She’s been dealt with_. Did this mean she was dead? Weren’t they worried about the police finding out? No matter how crafty someone was, the police had ways of finding evidence, didn’t they? They didn’t actually _kill_ Chloe, did they? No, that was stupid to think that. No way would they actually kill someone. Intimidate and shake down, sure, but not kill. But the expressions on their faces were too stern, too serious. Was it possible? If they did, how did they get rid of the evidence?

Alicia continued to look around, not wanting to meet their faces. They were smiling now and there was nothing in those smiles that was kind or warm. They were cruel smiles. The kind of smiles that told her they were relishing in her confusion and fear. They were deranged, that’s what they were. Deranged and uncaring of the rules and laws society had placed onto the world. She was hidden away and at their mercy. If they dispatched Chloe, there was little doubt they planned to dispatch her as well. How could they get away with it though? They would have had to dump Chloe somewhere, right? “What did you do to Chloe? Aren’t you worried about getting caught? You can’t hold me forever...people will look for me. My co-workers...Jason...my other friends. People will wonder where I am.”

Hailey leaned in close, resting her chin into her hand. “They’ll be hard pressed to find her, Ali. Some of her is in Renton. Some of her is in Kent. I think we even managed to drop some of her off in the mountains beyond Bonney Lake and Sumner.” She reached out and toyed with a lock of Alicia’s hair, the strange cruel smile still on her face. “We’re not worried about getting caught. It’s not like they’re ever gonna find her any time soon. Or even you, for that matter.”

“Where am I?” she asked in a thin whisper, staring up at Hailey.

“Far, far away from Seattle,” Hailey muttered, rising up from the table. “And far, far away from Washington. Good thing we got out when we did too. Jason had sent the police to your place and Chloe’s apartment was crawling with cops.” She made her way over to the counter on the far wall to Alicia’s right, looking down and reaching for something Alicia couldn’t see. “Good on you for being an obsessed freak. Police called us shortly after we got back. Said you had a lot of photos of us and reports about us in your apartment that normally wouldn’t make it to civilian hands. Wasn’t too difficult to make it sound like we left to avoid further problems with you. The security footage from the market as well as eye-witness accounts of you freaking out on me sealed the deal.” She took a breath and grabbed something from the counter. “Everyone who knew us told them the same thing. That you’d lost the plot after we had a falling out and had become obsessed in finding me.”

“You disappeared and left everything behind,” Alicia whimpered, her eyes locked on Hailey’s face. “I honestly thought something terrible had happened to you. I only wanted to make sure you were okay...”

Hailey shook her head as she turned around and walked back over to the table. “And when you found out I was alive and living my life, why didn’t you just leave it alone? Why did you insist I come back and act like the last five years of my life never happened? If you really were only worried about me, you would have left me the fuck alone the moment you discovered I was alive and well.” She reached over and grabbed Alicia’s face, giving it another hard squeeze. “But you didn’t do that, did you? You were too caught up in what _you _wanted and you didn’t give a fuck about who you hurt in getting that.”

“What more do you want from me?” Alicia pleaded, her eyes now on Murdoc as he moved to the end of the table. “I was wrong! I should’ve left you alone. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone!” She could feel his hands moving by her feet, grabbing at her ankles. “What do you want!”

Hailey leaned in, raising her hand up to Alicia’s face and revealing what looked like a knife of some kind, pressing the blade edge against Alicia’s cheek. When the blade cut through, Alicia uttered a yelp, pulling her head away only to feel Hailey’s other hand tangle into her hair and hold her against her as she continued to dig the blade in deeper and deeper. She sent out silent pleas that this all be just a nightmare, nothing more than a horrible dream, but the pain felt too real. Too sharp. The blade moved slowly, digging in deeper as it continued to cut through the flesh of her cheek, blood slowly starting to trickle from the wound. She could feel her heart pound in her chest and in her ears as Hailey bent in lower, her lips moving against her captive’s ear, the voice soft and almost seductive as the words rolled out. “_I want to hear you scream_.”

****************************

The screams bounced off the walls, confined to the space below the house. Even if someone had been outside right by the walls, they wouldn’t have heard a fucking thing. Having a finished and sound-proof basement had been one of the main perks of the little cottage. Once the door leading to the main house was shut, you couldn’t hear a fucking thing. The room had been designated their playroom, a space for her and Murdoc to indulge without worrying about Alec overhearing them. They’d purchases numerous things over the few years they’d been living in the house, most of which ended up in the basement. A sex swing that had become a favorite and a table with restraints that they’d mainly just talked about and laughed at as they fucked in the swing or against the counters. The table had been an impulsive purchase and they both had felt the sting of buyer’s remorse due to the cost of the fucking thing. Neither of them had liked it but unable to return it, it simply sat on the far side of the room unused. Maybe it was some sort of omen? Why else would they still have it when they’d dragged their captive down to the basement and tied her to the thing? It had become the perfect item in those moments and Hailey had actually thanked the universe that they’d never disposed of it.

Getting Alicia out of the US had been a hell of a juggling act. While they normally flew commercially when traveling places for holiday, Murdoc had insisted on obtaining a private plane for this most recent trip. It had been expensive and Hailey had warned him against it, not wanting to play money shuffle just to make sure they could cover the costs. But he’d insisted and in the end, she’d arranged for the private flights to the states and from the states to back home. He hated flying, had never adjusted to it, even when he’d been touring with the band. Always a nervous wreck who wasted no time getting as pissed as possible so he could tolerate it. Aside from the anxiety and fear of being thousands of miles up in the air, he also hated being packed in with hundreds of other people. Said it felt claustrophobic. The private plane didn’t ease his fear or anxiety, but it helped ease some of his tension having just them and a small flight crew on the plane. And for once, Hailey was glad she’d relented and got the private aircraft because if they’d opted to fly commercially they would have been caught the moment they’d reached the ticket counters with the massive black suitcase that took both of them to haul it. Using the private plane also gave them access to a small private airport, smiling nervously on the tarmac as the baggage handlers grabbed it and chucked it into the cargo hold with the rest of their luggage.

Having Alicia here at her mercy was almost too much and Hailey had to struggle desperately for control. She couldn’t even decide where she really wanted to start. Cutting her with the small blade had her whimpering and sobbing but Hailey wanted more. She wanted her to fucking scream. To beg. To pray to whatever god she worshiped. Fucking A, one thing at a time. Can’t do too much too fast or the bitch will die before they could really have their fun. She planned on making their time together count and this meant Alicia was going to be alive and conscious through this entire thing until Hailey grew bored of it finally and killed her. Well, at least as long as they felt comfortable holding her. Keeping her more than several days was too much of a risk. Murdoc didn’t want her held longer than a week tops and even Hailey thought that was a bit too long.

The end game was to make sure Alicia suffered. Suffer immensely. Chloe had gotten off easy, killed before they’d even left Seattle, but she wanted to take her fucking time with Alicia. Cut her. Slice her. Take bits and pieces of her as she begged for the end. Hailey had no desire to make it quick. Alicia had made Alec suffer for days so it was only fair that Hailey and Murdoc made sure she suffered for however long they decided to drag this out. They weren’t even sure how long they planned to continue this. But Hailey took full advantage of it all, sometimes talking to her and sometimes cutting her. She wasn’t even sure if the woman heard her anymore, probably too caught up in her own terror to even register the words coming from Hailey’s mouth. Sometimes she would simply blare some music from the little boombox they kept on the counters and hum to herself as she broke fingers and toes or even deciding to slice off an ear. All Alicia could do was cry and beg and just knowing she had this power over their captive had sent her synapses into a tailspin. Feeling her arousal build as she straddled the bitch and squeezed her neck, only letting go when the struggle had finally left her. Sitting across the woman’s hips to watch her sputter and cough and fight for air, hearing Murdoc behind them as he watched and stroked himself off. Sometimes watching it all would be too much for him and more than once he’d tear at her clothes to bend her over the counter or even the table so he could bury himself into her, wanting to watch her continue to strangle the bitch while he plowed into Hailey from behind.

They didn’t dare come down to the basement during the day, not while Alec was awake and about. They did sometimes go down briefly to check on their captive and make sure she hadn’t died but saved the fun for when Alec was asleep in his room. Safely tucked away and safe from the monsters who took him all while the real monsters allowed themselves to become unleashed in the basement. She didn’t think too much on this really because she felt it was for justified reasons. Both her and Murdoc getting off on it had just ended up being a perk. Freud would probably have a great deal to say about them, no doubt. Being able to drop at his knees and suck his cock while some useless bitch bled all over their playroom. Having him fucking her from behind as hard as he could while she screamed for more, her eyes on their captive the whole time, wanting the woman to see what her torture did for them. Getting fired up just moving her from the table to a plain chair and tying her down. Watching her sob and try desperately to look away while they indulged.

It was currently just her and Alicia in the basement, Hailey sitting on the stairs and smoking a cigarette with Alicia still tied down to the chair. She was debating over what she wanted to do next. Slicing her mouth in a Glasgow Smile was fun and all, but what about stabbing random spots and watching her bleed out? The other thing that had started to bother Hailey was the fact that Alicia continued to stare at her with massive blue eyes, pleading and hoping she would relent. Was she looking for some scrap of humanity left in Hailey that might make her decide to let her go? It would be laughable if not so fucking pathetic. Why would she have any humanity left for a thing that could so callously beat and attempt to kill a child just to get back at someone they’d felt wronged them? Taking a drag from her cigarette, she sneered. “Not sure why you keep looking at me like that. It’s not gonna change what’s gonna happen to you.”

“Sorry,” Alicia moaned through a loud exhaling breath. “Sorry...I wanted....wanted my best friend back. That’s all....that’s all...” Her resilience was something to behold honestly. Hailey figured she would check out and go into shock within a few hours of their torture sessions, but here she was, three days later and still going strong...or as strong as one could be with multiple non fatal injuries. “Let..me...go...”

Hailey erupted into a chuckle, rising up from the steps. “Not a fucking chance. No point whining and crying about it, Alicia. It will not quicken your death or make it any less painful.” She grabbed one of the small knives from the chrome counter, frowning at the blade before turning to look at their captive. What could she do next? Peel skin away? Get the clamp from the garage and crush her hands? So many options. Tonight would probably be the last night she could really let loose. Tomorrow Murdoc planned to start digging in the back of the property and then they’d get rid of her that night. Shame, really. She was really enjoying herself. Channeling that control that wanted desperately to be free. Torn between wanting to fully let loose and keeping it reined in so she didn’t kill the woman too quickly. Fucking intoxication is what it was. She wanted more of it. And more. Just keep it coming because this was better than any fucking drug she’d tried in her life.

Being able to lure Murdoc into it had also affected her in ways she couldn’t describe. Days ago, she’d been struggling to keep herself in check watching him work Turner once they’d gotten Alec back. Shirtless, muscles tense and flexing as he pummeled the bitch with his fists. It had taken everything she had to maintain control. Fucking primal was what it had been. His scent in the air, the wild look in his eyes. It was little wonder that her torturing Alicia had done the same to him in a way. United in their desire to hurt the women responsible for harming Alec. Feeling his stare on her back as she choked the life out of this Amazon bitch, practically smelling the rising lust. Feeling his hands on her body as she continued to cut and peel and scratch, knowing that in mere moments he’d have his cock buried into her. A shaky sigh escaped from her as she raked her hands through her hair. He’d be down here eventually. He was upstairs taking care of Alec before putting him to bed. Then he would be down here with her. Down here with the smell of blood, sweat and lust. There was a good chance she’s attack him the moment he finally got down there. Unbuckle his belt and just take him in her mouth. Bring him to his knees and to bliss before returning her focus on the bloodied and beaten bitch strapped into the folding chair.

Standing in front of Alicia with the knife in her hand, she reached out and smoothed some of the woman’s hair back from her bloodied face. Those pathetic eyes. Staring at her like a beaten puppy dog hoping to find a scrap of compassion. Did she show their son compassion when she took him? When she beat him? When she tried to kill him? There was none whatsoever so what made her think Hailey owed her a scrap of it? Cracking a smile, Hailey slid down into Alicia’s lap, still smoothing her hair from her face. “Such pretty eyes,” she whispered against Alicia’s bloodied cheek. She could feel Alicia freezing up, preparing for more pain. Good, she wanted her afraid. This was what she deserved. “I think I’m gonna just take one.” Alicia flinched back when the blade touched her cheek just under her left eye, Hailey circling her arm around her head to hold her prone to her. There was no need to make this more difficult than it needed to be. She had to know she was going to die at this point. They’d held her for three days now and in about twenty-four hours, she was going to be a fucking corpse. Snarling, she gripped down tighter on the blade, bracing the woman’s head against her own as she plunged the blade under her eye. “Hold the fuck still.”

The woman’s eyeball came out amazingly easily, though Hailey did have to cut some connections in the back. She never realized just how fragile they were or that there was a strange assortment of connective tissue in the back. Slick, squishy, the pupil expanding once the connective tissue was cut. Alicia didn’t even cry out, little more than muffled grunts once it was all said and done. She dropped the single eyeball into an old mason jar and twisted the lid onto it, setting it aside. She could hear Murdoc upstairs and this meant he’d be down eventually. Maybe they could play a game? She cast a look over her shoulder at the woman slumped over in the chair, the fight mostly out of her now. Would the flight instinct kick in if given the opportunity to run for it? It was risky, but given her current state, Hailey had little doubt that they’d catch her. They knew the property, she did not. There was a creek in the woods and about a half mile past that was the property lines. Oooh, the more she started to think about it, the better the idea was becoming. Go out with a bang on the last night she was alive. Set her loose into the woods and hunt her down. Really terrorize her. Half blind and bleeding everywhere, she wouldn’t stand a chance out in the woods after dark. They wouldn’t even have to cut the game short once they caught her. Push her in a new direction and go from there. Make her actually think she stood a chance in escaping. Then when they were done, cut her fucking arms and legs off and bury the bitch. Bury her alive so she could feel exactly what Alec felt being trapped in darkness and slowly suffocating. Hailey frowned, glaring down at the one blue eyeball that stared back at her. The sounds around her faded out, though she was aware of the basement door opening and Murdoc’s footfall on the steps. She’d considered Alicia a friend. They’d shared twenty years together as best friends and had lived together as room mates for eight of those years. Though Hailey had mourned the death of their friendship some years back, it didn’t make this moment any less troubling. She shouldn’t even be giving a toss, but deep down, she kind of did. In ending Alicia’s life, it was putting to rest the only long-term friendship Hailey had ever had.

She took a breath, shoving the jar aside and turned to their captive, almost running into Murdoc. He was carrying some cheese and crackers on a plate as well as juggling two beers in an arm. “Hope you’re hungry, Poppet,” he said, cracking a small smile and setting the plate onto the chrome counters. Uncapping both bottles, he passed her one and then seated himself onto the counters. “When’re we gonna finish this? Police called ‘gain...askin’ ‘bout last time we saw her. Told them the same bleedin’ thin’ I told them two days ‘go...last time I saw her was five years ‘go. Last time you saw her was at the market.”

“We agreed one more night,” she said, taking a drink from the bottle and leaning into him. “I have an idea for tomorrow. I wanna hear your thoughts on it.” Resting comfortably against his thigh, she traced the seamline down to his knee, feeling the muscles in his leg flutter. “I want to cut her loose tomorrow night.”

Murdoc tipped his bottle back, cocking an eyebrow. He glanced over at their captive before returning his focus back to her. “Reckon that’s wise? I know we’re enjoyin’ this, love, but that’s pretty fuckin’ risky. What if she escapes?” He didn’t like the sound of this at all. It was as plain as the nose on his face. He reached around her to grab some crackers, shoving them into his mouth and shaking his head. “Dunno ‘bout that, Hailey. We dun’ have a lot of acreage. Property line t’ our eastern neighbors is less than a quarter mile.”

Massaging his thigh, she pressed in close. “She’ll be too fucked up to know up from down. Do it at night. We know the area. Chase her, give her a spook and then we can get rid of her.” She could tell he still wasn’t on board, shaking his head as he took another drink from his beer. She moved her hand further up his thigh, mouth grazing against his chin. “Remember how hard you got when you were terrorizing Chloe?” He rumbled in response, shifting on the counter as her hand moved further up. She could feel him moving, spreading his legs a little wider when her hand reached where his balls were under the denim of his jeans. “I want to see it again. I want to see you let go. Just like when you had Turner on her knees in front of you and at your mercy.” She pressed harder, mouth lingering on his throat long enough to nip at the scar just above his adam’s apple. He was getting hard, almost purring beneath her mouth and hand. Her other hand came around, fingers tangling into his hair. He was almost panting now, struggling to unbutton his jeans with shaking fingers. Hailey flashed a small smile, moving her mouth down his throat, his chest, finally hovering just over his crotch with her hands now at the zipper of his jeans. “You’ve always wanted to fuck me in the woods...” Hovering over his erection, she breathed against it, smiling when a strained growl erupted from him. Kneeling down into a more comfortable position, she took him into her hand, smiling up at him. “Let me do this and I’ll let you do whatever you want to me.”


	28. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Standing beside the grill, Murdoc shouldered into Russel, almost growling as he watched the big man flip the ribs and burgers. “C’mon, Russ, this is _my_ fuckin’ house! I control the grill!” He wasn’t completely fucking inept with using a bloody barbecue. He’d had a few successful runs with it and obviously could cook, so why the hell did Russ think he could bulldoze himself in and take over? As the king of his fucking castle, he alone had the right to handle the grill and the food cooking inside of it. “I said shove off, lards!”

“Ribs take care, Muds,” Russ snapped back, ignoring the shoves and swats. He shot the smaller man an annoyed look when Murdoc’s foot connected with the back of his legs. “Kick me again, old man, and I’ll throw your cracker ass into that damned pool.”

Glowering, Murdoc spun on his heels and stalked away, muttering under his breath. Leave it to the fat man to take over the food, right? Acting like he didn’t know how to operate a fucking grill. It was fucking insulting! Still mumbling to himself, he skirted around the edge of the pool and dropped into one of the lounge chairs, arms folded across his chest. Couldn’t even grill up in his own damned house. He had a right mind to disconnect the gas when Russel’s back was turned. See how good he could cook when there was no flame source. As entertaining as the idea was, he was also hungry and didn’t really want to wait for the food any longer than necessary – or risk ruining it. He and Hailey had been planning this gathering for months and she’d have his hide if he did something to sabotage it. Especially after spending a small fortune at the market for the ribs, burgers and the massive pork shoulder that was smoking in the little side compartment of the grill.

It wasn’t often all of them could get together like this. They were all busy with their own things. Russel lived in New York with his wife, the two of them running a successful record label. Stu and Noodle had their own projects going on as well as a small gallery near Picadilly which kept them pretty busy. This wasn’t even including the fact that their kid was now a toddler and always on the damned go. Tess got into every-fucking-thing. Murdoc was also usually busy himself, working on material for BBC. If he wasn’t holed up inside his home-studio working on different tracks, he was attending meetings with network suits or going over contracts with his solicitor. Their lives had all changed to some degree and finding time to get together really was a team effort of phone calls, marking off calendars, setting dates and arranging flights. A logistical nightmare that Murdoc often pawned off onto Hailey because she was better at arranging this shit than he was. He knew she hated it, but generally did it without complaint because it was better she just do it and get it out of their hair than listen to him throw a tantrum because he screwed something up and accidentally double booked or canceled a flight or whatever. He’d done it before.

They’d gotten extremely lucky picking this weekend for the gathering. The sun was out and it was actually quite warm. Warm summers were a rare thing in England and having it hold firm for over a week was even more rare. All well and good as far as he was concerned. It allowed them to have a nice backyard get-together and open up the pool. They’d had the pool installed a little over two years ago. He still wasn’t really sure why they’d agreed this was a good idea. It was fun, sure, but the weather was never cooperative and they’d discovered that maintaining the blasted thing was a lot more work than they were willing to really do. It spent all of last summer covered up and unused and when they’d decided to open it up for their little summer gathering, it had been a costly few weeks of upkeep to make sure it was up to par for their planned weekend. He’d accidentally added too much chemical at one point, stripping an old pair of cut off jeans of their color and destroying a favorite shirt he’d forgotten to take off when he’d jumped in to get to the filter.

They had also realized that a fence of some kind was absolutely necessary because every time Tessie or even Alec teetered too close to the edge, Murdoc was literally on edge himself, ready to spring into the water after one of them should they actually fall in. Tessie was just a wee one, barely two years old now and as clumsy as her father. Murdoc had actually been amazed at how much Tessie _didn’t _look like her father. She might as well been Noodle’s twin, really. The only thing that stood out was her blue eyes and the fact that she was pretty tall for a two year old. Almost up to his hip. She was sharp for her age too, which Murdoc assumed Noodle was beyond thankful for. But sharp or not, she was just a tot and too young to know how to swim yet. What if their backs are turned and she or Alec ends up falling in? He wasn’t even sure what kind of fence he could install, but something was definitely necessary.

From behind him, he heard the French doors open up and caught sight of Hailey ushering both Alec and Tessie through the door as she balanced some drinks in her arms. “In or out, you two. You’re tracking dirt and water everywhere!”

Tessie shot off squealing while Alec took his time. Though it was clear Hailey was mildly annoyed, she waited patiently for Alec to make his way through. Murdoc watched as Alec stepped carefully and slowly, one leg out with the other sort of shuffling behind him, one trembling hand out to hold the door frame with the other braced against him. Alec had no memory of those horrific days in Seattle and both Murdoc and Hailey had agreed this was for the best. The woman who’d hurt him had damaged him permanently. His hands never did stop shaking and a grand mal seizure had almost robbed him of his ability to walk. Physical therapy helped him gain enough control that he could walk and eat unassisted, but there were numerous other tasks that required Murdoc’s or Hailey’s help. Now seven years old, he’d only just mastered being able to use the toilet without aid and climbing the stairs, though this did sometimes take a lot out of him. Alec’s increased needs had put a strain on things and there’d been a brief amount of time where Murdoc and Hailey couldn’t even exchange a civil word between each other. It had taken a lot to get through that and neither one of them acknowledged that period of time anymore. Best to keep it behind them. Just continue to help Alec and hope for the best. Continue to move forward. He might never be self sufficient, might never be able to live independently, but they’d cross that bridge when they got there. He was only in primary school, after all. Worry about how he will handle adulthood when he actually gets there. Right now, his boy was more concerned about that wonderful pool they’d finally decided to open. He continued to watch as Alec shuffled his way across the tiled patio, clad in a pair of swim trunks and trying to hold some inflatables under the arm that was pressed against his side. Upon reaching the lounger where Murdoc was sitting, he leaned into his shoulder. “Can I git in t’ the pool, Dad? Mum got m’ floaties.”

“Wait for me an’ Stu,” Murdoc muttered, scooting over so Alec could sit next to him. “We’ll probably go in after we’re all done eatin’.” Alec scowled but didn’t argue. All well and good as far as Murdoc was concerned. He wanted a pleasant and fun gathering and was also still a bit peeved about Russ shoving him away from what was rightfully his to control. And he was thirsty. Wasn’t Hailey coming out with drinks? He cast a quick look over at Hailey, who was circling around and passing out drinks. “Can’t even serve me first, woman?”

“You’ll survive,” Hailey shot back, not bothering to look over at him. “Your liver will thank me.”

“Satan’s balls, the cheek from this woman!” He let out a good-natured laugh, easing his frame into the lounger and lowering the sunglasses onto his nose. Maybe letting everyone do the work wasn’t such a bad thing. He could just lay here and relax, enjoy all the things his hard work had brought him. He never would have guessed that toying around and producing tracks for television and film would put him back near the top again. Nowhere near as big as Gorillaz, but close enough. He even had a fucking Oscar on his mantle. Best Musical Score. It put his name back in people’s mouths again for the first time in years. Strange as it was, he rather liked the behind the scenes stuff. It was still demanding as hell, especially when he had a deadline or meetings with suits or that blasted legal eagle he hired, but no more tours, no more live shows, no more bouncing across fifty fucking timezones and not knowing what day it was.

Tessie appeared in front of him, crawling onto the end of the lounge chair, babbling at him. Shame he didn’t understand toddler-speak, she was probably dropping some good dirt on her Mum and Dad. She continued to crawl across his legs, still babbling away and giggling until Noodle dropped in suddenly and grabbed her. “Cannot believe how fast she moves!”

“Get Dents off his arse t’ chase her then.” Murdoc sat up, looking over at Stu, who was lazily crashed onto the other lounger and completely oblivious. “Oi, Face-Ache!” When Stu didn’t move, he whipped his sunglasses off and chucked them towards him. “Get up an’ keep track of your crotch goblin! Quit makin’ Noods do all the bleedin’ work!”

Stu flinched when the sunglasses bounced off his forehead. He slowly sat up, glaring daggers at Murdoc. Judging by his puffy eyes, he’d been shaken awake from a nap. “Get bent, Murdoc!” Lowering his cap back down over his eyes, he slid back down into the lounger, folding his arms across his narrow chest. “Dun’ go after me for neglectin’ m’ kid when you haven’t gotten up once t’ tend t’ Amy!”

“Amy is seven months old, dullard!” Murdoc barked back. “She’s nappin’ in the lounge. Not like she can get far, now can she! She can’t even crawl yet!” Where the hell did that idiot get off shooting his mouth at him about how he parented his kids? He helped Alec with his therapy appointments, did he not? Tended to Amy when Hailey wasn’t able to? He wasn’t a complete fucking neanderthal about it. Unlike that lanky bastard across the way who fainted during his first nappy change. Stu couldn’t even get through changing a shitty arse without losing his lunch or passing out. Okay, so Murdoc wasn’t too keen on the whole nappy business either, but at least he’d begrudgingly do it and not make a spectacle of himself. And he certainly didn’t faint over blow-outs!

(though there had been one close call when a bad flu had ripped through the house)

Amy had been a bit of a surprise for both of them. Timing couldn’t have been worse seeing that they’d found out about her around the time things had been shaky and less than stellar between them and there were other issues going on in the background that had added to their anxiety. They’d even seriously discussed not continuing the pregnancy due to all the shit going on. Couldn’t blame them for considering it. They’d had so much on their plates at the time, to say nothing of the risks involved due to Hailey’s age. She’d only been forty, but docs wanted all these blasted tests done. Mentions of possible neurological impairment. Talk of invasive and even painful tests to determine if the new Spawn would have these impairments. Patronizing doctors pointing out that they already had one child who was disabled, how would they manage if they had two? It had reached the point of even Hailey suggesting that maybe continuing on was a bad idea. By that point, she’d been near six months along and what did she plan to do exactly? Little late for all of that now, yeah? In the end, fears and anxiety were mostly unfounded, a perfectly healthy and seven pound Amy came screaming into the world a week before Christmas. And while Alec had been mostly bald as an infant with light colored eyes that eventually turned green, Amy had a head full of black hair and by five or six months old, her eyes were clearly brown.

Hailey was suddenly beside him, passing him a chilled glass filled with ice, something brightly colored and reeked pleasantly of Captain Morgan. Peering up at her, he scoffed loudly, making an exaggerated roll of his eyes. “Oh, so you finally remembered I was here, eh?” She said nothing, smirking down at him with the drink dangling in her hand. He accepted the drink and casually looked around at what was happening around him. Russ was finally serving up the food. Maybe he couldn’t get too mad about the man bulldozing him out of the way of the grill to take over. Russ’s cooking had kept them well fed during their years at Kong. Probably would’ve starved if Russ hadn’t taken on the cooking duties. Granted, the drive to make sure they were fed was mostly due to the fact they’d ended up the caretakers of a nine year old little girl who’d been dumped on their doorstep in a FedEx crate.

Rising up from the lounger, Murdoc pulled Alec up to his feet and gestured for him to go ahead. Everyone was getting their food. Noodle had brought some delicious looking dishes to go with their rack of ribs, burgers and pork shoulder and he was eager to sample some of those. Particularly the spicy looking dish with the crispy things and red sauce. No idea what it was, but it smelled fucking delicious. He set his drink onto the tiles just below the chair and started a casual stroll down the back of the property. The cottage had been a carriage house in another life and over the decades had been renovated and even had additions added in. It didn’t sit on a lot of land, but it was sufficient for him since he’d never been one for yard work. He continued his trek across the yard, reaching the incline and making his way down carefully. There was the treeline and off to his right was more trees and a partial clearing. He’d been fascinated by this clearing, which even had a few large rocks placed almost strategically around it. The birch trees formed a weird half circle around it. Kind of out in the open, but obscured enough to escape any notice. He could hear everyone laughing and having fun up by the house and he suspected that they hadn’t noticed him missing just yet.

Reaching the clearing, he looked around to make sure he was completely alone. Most of the area had started to sprout grass, but he could still see the outline of the hole he’d dug. Though nobody else seemed to notice, both he and Hailey could see it. Their friends never did ask what became of the women who’d taken Alec and hurt him. It was best to just never know, as far as he was concerned. He also didn’t think they’d take it well knowing that one of them was buried not three feet away from him. Grinning, he unbuckled his belt and undid his jeans, sighing as he relieved himself over the clearing. He wasn’t sure why he enjoyed doing this every so often. Maybe it was some throwback from prehistoric times. Marking territory or domination or whatever those eggheads at the University called it. He just knew the cunt buried five feet down deserved no less. Only he and Hailey knew what was there and how her end was. They’d made sure her final days were filled with terror and pain. She’d even still been alive when they’d rolled her into the grave. Hailey wanted her to feel what Alec had felt. Trapped in darkness and unable to escape. A fitting end for the unbalanced bitch, yeah? All well and good. Finishing up, he gave himself a few shakes before zipping himself back up. “Drink up, bitch,” he growled as he turned to start back up the incline. “Hope you enjoy us partyin’ on your fuckin’ grave.”


End file.
